LIBRARY 

OF   THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


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PRACTICAL 

ELEMENTS  OF  ELOCUTION 

DESIGNED  AS  A  TEXT-BOOK  FOR  THE  GUIDANCE  OF 
TEACHERS   AND   STUDENTS   OF   EXPRESSION, 


BY 

ROBERT   I.    FULTON,  A.M., 

DEAN   OF  THE   SCHOOL  OF  ORATORY    OF   THE  OHIO  WBSLEYAN   UNIVERSITY, 

AND  PROFESSOR  OF  ELOCUTION  AND  ORATORY  IN  THE 
OHIO  STATE  UNIVERSITY; 

AND 

THOMAS   C.  TRUEBLOOD,  A.M., 

PROFESSOR   OF  ELOCUTION    AND   ORATORY    IN   THE   UNIVERSITY   OF  MICHIGAN: 
WITH    AN 


ON 

TRUTH,  PERSONALITY,  AND  ART  IN  ORATORY, 

BY 

JAMES  W.  BASHFORD,  B.D.,  PH.D., 

PRESIDENT   OF    THE   OHIO   WESLEYAN    UNIVERSITY. 


THIRD  EDITION.         '     UNIVERSITY 


BOSTON,  U.S.A. 
GINN  &   COMPANY,   PUBLISHERS 


1902 


COPYRIGHT,  1893, 
BY  R.  I.  FULTON  &  T.  C.  TRUEBLOOD. 


ALL    RIGHTS    RKSEKVED. 


?Ctbcnaeum  press 

GINN    &    COMPANY,    BOSTON,    U.S.A. 


IN 
GRATEFUL.  REMEMBRANCE 

OF 
MR.   JAMES   E.    MURDOCH, 

THE    DISTINGUISHED    ACTOR,    AUTHOR,    AND    ELOCUTIONIST,    WHOSE 

LIFE    AND    WORK     HAVE     BEEN     AN    ABIDING 

SOURCE   OF   INSPIRATION 

TO   US, 

THIS    VOLUME 

IS  DEDICATED  BY  HIS  PUPILS, 

THE  AUTHORS. 


100799 


PREFACE. 


If  an  apology  were  necessary  for  the  appearance  of  this 
book  among  so  many  of  its  kind  it  should  not  have  been 
published.  We  know  that  it  will  find  its  proper  place  in 
public  favor  or  disapproval.  We  ask  for  it,  however,  a 
careful  examination,  an  honest  trial,  and  a  candid  judg- 
ment upon  its  merits.  This  evident  departure  from  pre- 
vious methods  of  treatment  has  made  our  task  a  difficult 
one,  and  we  invite  kindly  criticism  and  suggestion  for 
future  editions. 

Following  the  trend  of  thought  so  recently  crystallized 
in  the  organization  of  the  National  Association  of  Elocu- 
tionists, we  have  endeavored  to  harmonize  the  so-called 
systems  of  Elocution.  In  all  we  have  found  valuable 
truths  which  must  have  a  common  basis  and  should  meet 
on  common  ground.  While  this  volume  is  a  recall  to  the 
old  truths  recorded  by  Engel,  Austin,  and  Dr.  Rush,  it 
presents  them  in  the  newer  garb  and  more  recent  phil- 
osophy of  Mantegazza  and  Delsarte.  The  student  of 
to-day  is  not  satisfied  with  the  mere  statement  of  facts, 
he  seeks  the  underlying  principles  or  laws  governing  a 
world  of  facts. 

We  have  endeavored  not  only  to  trace  each  element 
back  to  nature,  after  the  manner  of  Dr.  Rush,  but  to 
show  its  response,  in  expression,  to  man's  Mental,  Emo- 


VI  PREFACE: 

% 

tive,  and  Vital  natures.  So  far  as  we  know,  there  has 
begn  no  published  attempt  to  harmonize  all  the  vocal 
Elements  of  Dr.  Rush's  Philosophy  with  the  triune  theory 
of  Delsarte ;  nor  have  we  essayed  the  task  without  a  free 
use  of  the  scalpel ;  but  if,  happily,  we  have  succeeded, 
we  shall  entertain  the  hope  that  this  volume  will  add 
greater  interest  to  the  study  of  Elocution  and  inspire  a 
more  enduring  confidence  in  its  practicability. 

We  have  endeavored  to  be  suggestive  rather  than  ex- 
haustive. Each  generic  element  or  subject  is  treated  as 
a  whole  and  not  in  a  set  form  of  prescribed  lessons  ;  so 
that  any  teacher  may  give  them  in  the  order  best  suited 
to  his  own  individual  methods.  Nor  is  this  a  book  of 
selections.  The  quotations  are  from  standard  literature 
and  are  given  purely  as  illustrative  matter ;  apart  from 
those  that  are  taken  from  Shakespeare,  the  selections 
entire  may  be  found,  for  the  most  part,  in  our  published 
compilation  of  Choice  Readings. 

We  have  also  attempted  to  present  the  subject  in  a 
sufficiently  logical  and  scientific  manner  to  justify  the 
recognition  Elocution  is  now  receiving  in  the  High-School, 
College,  and  University  curricula,  not  only  as  a  means  of 
acquiring  the  art  of  expression,  but  as  a  study  worthy 
consideration  in  the  scheme  of  mental  development. 

Perhaps  we  should  say  further  that  this  book  is  the 
outgrowth  of  fifteen  years'  study  and  experience,  and  it 
has  been  prepared  with  the  most  careful  collaboration  on 
our  part,  and  under  the  closest  criticism  of  many  of  the 
leading  members  of  our  profession.  It  would  seem  invidi- 
ous to  name  here  a  few,  and  impractical  to  name  all  of 


PREFACE. 


vii 


the  teachers  and  students  who  have  aided  us  by  suggestion 
and  approval  ;  or  to  record  the  books  whose  pages  we  have 
most  frequently  searched.  We  believe  we  have  given  due 
credit  in  the  body  of  the  book,  to  all  authorities  ;  while 
that  larger  fund  of  knowledge  which  has  become  common 
property,  we  have  tested  in  the  crucible  of  experience, 
adapted  to  our  own  plan  and  expressed  in  our  own 
language. 

We  wish,  however,  to  make  acknowledgment  of  the 
valued  assistance  of  a  layman,  Professor  Edwin  G.  Conklin, 
Ph.D.,  whose  criticisms  from  a  scientific  standpoint  have 
guided  us  at  times  into  a  more  philosophic  treatment. 
Nor  would  we  be  unmindful  of  the  friendly  arbitration 
rendered  by  Mr.  Edwin  P.  Trueblood,  A.M.,  at  the  time 
our  own  earnest  discussions  led  to  a  clearer  arrangement 
of  the  first  outlines  of  the  book. 

Finally  we  would  assure  the  reader  that  we  have  written 
out  of  the  depths  of  a  full  conviction  and  with  a  sincere 
desire  to  advance  the  science  and  art  of  expression  ;  and 
if  these  pages  stimulate  deeper  thought  and  investigation, 
our  labors  have  not  been  in  vain. 

THE    AUTHORS. 
August  1 6,  1893. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 
PREFACE  ......................................................................................................       v 

INTRODUCTION  .....  ,  ....................................................................................      i 


PART   I. 

THE    PSYCHIC    BEING  ;     VOICE  ;     PRONUNCIATION  ;    EMPHASIS. 

CHAPTER  I.  —  MAN'S  TRIUNE  NATURE  ..............................................  8 

II.  —  THE  VOCAL  APPARATUS  ..............................................  14 

/  III.  —  RESPIRATION  ..................................................................  27. 

tr  IV.  —  CULTIVATION  OF  THE  VOICE  ....................................  37 

V.  —  PRONUNCIATION  ............................................................  42 

VI.  —  EMPHASIS  ........................................................................  71  . 

PART    II. 

THE   ELEMENTS    OF   VOCAL    EXPRESSION. 

HARMONY  OF  RUSH  AND  DELSARTE  ..................................................  85 

APTER  I.  —  QUALITY  ..........................................................................  89 

Section  I.  —  Normal  ............................................................................  92 

II.  —  Orotund  ............................  .  ...............................................  94 

III.  —  Oral  ..................................................................................  97 

IV.  —  Aspirate  ....................................  .  .......................................  99 

V.  —  Guttural  ............................................................................  101 

VI.  —  Pectoral  ......................................  .....................................  104 

VII.  —  Nasal  ............  '.  ......................................  t  ............................  107 

VIII.  —  Falsetto  ............................................................................  109 

CHAPTER  II.  —  FORCE  ............................................................................  1  13 

Section  I.  —  Form  ................................................................................  1  14 

II.  —  Degree  .....  :  ........................................................................  147 

III.  —  Stress....                                                                            ..  162 


*  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  III.  —  PITCH ...: 185 

Section  I.  —  Degree 191 

II. — Change 203 

III.  —-Melody 253 

CHAPTER  IV.  —  TIME 280 

Section  I.  —  Quantity 281 

II.  —  Pause 292 

III.  —  Movement 307 

PART    III. 

THE  ELEMENTS  OF  ACTION. 

INTRODUCTION 335 

CHAPTER  I.  —  CULTIVATION  OF  THE  BODY 349 

Section  I.  —  Physical  Education 349 

II.  —  ^Esthetic  Physical  Culture 351 

CHAPTER  II.  —  PRINCIPLES  OF  ACTION 362 

Section  I.  —  Zones,  Positions  and  Attitudes  of  the  Body  363 

II.  —  Inflections  of  the  Body 400 

CHAPTER  III.  —  TECHNIQUE  OF  ACTION 408 

Section  I.  —  Positions 408 

II.  —  Attitudes 410 

III.  —  Gestures  412 

APPENDIX. 

ORATORY. 

INTRODUCTION 421 

CHAPTER  I.  —  ART  ., 431 

II.  —  TRUTH 440 

III.  —  PERSONALITY 447 

CONCLUSION 450 

OUTLINE   OF  THE   BOOK _„.      451 


INTRODUCTION. 


I.  — RELATION  OF  SCIENCE  TO  ART. 

Elocution  is  the  science  and  art  of  expression  by  voice 
and  action.  As  aii_art_ it  deals. with  the  correct  outward 
expression  of  thought  and  feeling ;  as  a  science _it :jiiscovers 
and  classifies  the  principles  which  govern  such  expression. 
It  is  not  an  exact  science  but  a  liberal  one  through  which 
the  highest  excellence  in  the  art  is  attained.  This  will 
account  for  the  fact  that  our  finest  speakers  are  not  alike 
in  their  modes  of  delivery,  though  the  main  principles  exist 
the  same  in  all. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  Elocution  to  develop  individuality,  to 
correct  bad  habits  of  speech  and  gesture,  and  to  make  the 
body  a  fit  instrument  to  serve  the  mind  and  soul. 

As  in  the  fine  arts,  sculpture,  painting  and  music,  no  one 
need  hope  to  gain  eminence  without  some  native  aptitude, 
so  in  the  art  of  spoken  language  few  gain  distinction,  yet  it 
is  in  the  province  of  all  with  due  practice  to  become  at  least 
tolerable  readers  and  speakers.  It  is  by  judicious  appli- 
cation of  the  natural  laws  of  expression  that  one  may  go 
beyond  the  point  of  mere  accidental  success,  and  may  gain 
positive  and  permanent  power  in  commanding  the  interest 
and  attention  of  his  hearers. 

Ruskin  says  with  reference  to  painting  that  "  all  fatal' 
faults  in  art  that  might  have  been  otherwise  good,  arise 
from  one  or  other  of  these  three  things  :  either  from  the 
pretense  to  feel  what  we  do  not ;  the  indolence  in  exercises 
necessary  to  obtain  the  power  of  expressing  truth  ;  or  the 


2  INTRODUCTION. 

presumptuous  insistance  upon,  and  indulgence  in  our  own 
powers  and  delights  and  with  no  care  or  wish  that  they  be 
useful  to  others,  so  only  they  be  admired  by  them." 

This  very  just  criticism  upon  painting  may  well  be  applied 
to  reading  as  a  fine  art,  and  to  public  speaking.  The 
principal  element  of  success  of  any  one  in  either  pursuit 
is  sincerity  and  /;-/////.  He  must  learn  to  feel  and  then  to 
reproduce  that  state  in  the  minds  of  others.  Jie  must  be 
fervent  without  being  extravagant  and  exercise  a  discretion 
that  will  "  overstep  not  the  modesty  of  nature." 

The  second  fault  referred  to  by  Ruskin  is  the  indis- 
position to  exercise  sufficiently  in  the  principles  of  the  art 
All  arts  have  their  technicalities  which  if  mastered  repay 
THe" diligence  and  attention  bestowed  upon  them.  There  are 
some  who  at  first  give  decided  promise  of  success  that  are 
distanced  by  others  of  less  apparent  genius  but  of  more 
industry.  Such  persons  have  fallen  victims  to  overvaluation 
of  their  own  powers.  The  soil  and  seed  were  good  but  the 
young  plant  was  not  cultivated. 

The  third  fault  named  by  Ruskin,  that  of  self-admiration 
or  love  of  exhibition,  is  probably  the  most  common.  This 
comes  from  a  disposition  to  substitute  sound  for  sense, 
emotion  for  truth  ;  from  the  habit  of  displaying  tone  and 
gesture  for  their  own  sake  rather  than  for  the  truth  they 
'should  make  forcible. 

Legouve  says  there  are  some  people  "whose  wealth  of 
voice  is  an  embarrassment  to  them.  They  cannot  enun- 
ciate ;  sound  swallows  up  their  words ;  vowels  devour 
consonants,  and  they  talk  and  read  so  loud,  make  so  much 
noise  about  it  that  no  one  can  understand  them."  On  the 
"other  hand  there  is  a  disposition  to  be  over-exact  in  matters 
of  detail ;  for  example,  in  articulation  or  intonation,  which 
calls  attention  to  the  manner  before  the  thought.  Any  such 
methods  are  radically  wrong  and  should  be  corrected.  This 
is  the  abuse  rather  than  the  proper  use  of  power  ;  and  there 


INTRODUCTION. 


is  no  more  necessity  for  the  display  of  tone  and  action  than 
for  any  other  form  of  pedantry. 

The  highest  art  impresses  itself  without  being 
remarked.  Justas  attention  to  critical  processes  in  written 
discourse  will  retard  for  a  time  easy  thought  and  composi- 
tion, so  will  attention  to  the  details  of  elocutionary  drills 
temporarily  impede  naturalness,  and  the  student  becomes 
self-conscious.  But  when  these  principlesjDecome  a  part  of 
his  being  he  comes  back  to  nature  again  refined  by  the 
process.  The  principles  or  science  of  an  art  though  severe 
and  a  temporary  hindrance,  after  a  while  become  our  own 
involuntary  means  of  success,  for  having  thoroughly  learned 
them  we  become  unconscious  of  them. 

In  the  words  of  Prof.  Genung,  "Art  at  its  highest  and 
nature  at  its  truest  are  one.  The  result  appears  ideally  free 
Trom  pain  and  effort ;  this,  however,  not  because  art  is  not 
present  but  because  the  art  is  so  perfect  as  to  have  con- 
cealed its  process."  Chancellor  W.  H.  Payne  of  Nashville 
'University  says  :  "Science  consists  of  knowing,  art  in  doing; 
the  principles  which  art  involves  science  evolves.  The  direct 
route  to  the  perfecting  of  an  art  is  through  a  clear  compre- 
hension of  the  principles  that  are  involved  in  the  art." 
The  following  diagram  may  serve  to  make  clearer  this 
distinction  :  — 


Inception 
of  Study 


ART 


SCIENCE 


Maturity 
of  Study. 


This  is  designed  to  show  that  in  the  first  study  of  the 
principles  of  an  art  there  is  little  that  is  artistic  in  expression 
because  of  the  consciousness  of  applying  principles.  But 
with  progress  in  study,  science  becomes  less  obtrusive  and 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

its  application  more  artistic.  It  also  shows  that  in  the 
inception  of  study  there  is  some  art,  and  in  the  maturity 
some  science,  present,  but  the  one  gradually  but  surely 
supersedes  the  other. 


II.  — RELATION  TO  KINDRED  SCIENCES. 

Of  the  sciences  that  deal  with  language  and  the  utter- 
ance of  language,  it  may  be  said  of  their  comparative 
relation  that 

I.  Grammar  has  to  do  with  the  form  of  the  word  and 
its  relation  to  and  dependence    upon    other   words  of  the 
context.      It  deals    neither   with  the  sense,   the    economy, 
nor  yet  with  the  utterance  of  language,  but  with  the  inter- 
dependence of  words. 

II.  Rhetoric  has  to  do  with  the  economical  arrangement 
of  %the  words  of  discourse  or  the  style  ;    Elocution  with  the 
right  exercise  of  the  organs  of  the  body  in  communicating 
thought  and  feeling.     Rhetoric  deals  with  written  language, 
Elocution    with    spoken    language.       A    rhetorician    is    not 
necessarily  an  effective  speaker,   neither  are    all   effective 
speakers  rhetoricians.     An  orator,  however,  must  be  both. 

III.  Logic  looks  to  the  laws  of  thought,  to  the  sense  of 
what  is  said  rather  than  to  the  manner  of  speaking,  and  to 
the  principles  of  reasoning  which  enable  men  to  avoid  error. 
According  to  Jevons  it  enables  us  "  to  calculate  the  results 
of   actions,  and   to    discover   the   means    of   doing   things 
which  seemed  impossible." 

IV.  Psychology  or  the  science  of  the  mind,  is  intimately 
connected  with  the  right  exercise  of  the  bodily  organs  of  the 
public  speaker.     A  knowledge  of  the  workings  of  the  mind 
and   its   effects   upon   the  body  is  necessary  to  correct  out- 
ward expression.     These  various  states  must  be  understood 
before  the  speaker  can  best  command  the  interest  and  atten- 
tion of  an  audience. 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

V.  Esthetics,  or  the  science  of  the  beautiful,  has  a  direct 
effect  upon  utterance,  not  only  upon  the  language  itself,  but 
upon  the  coloring  given  it.  This  coloring  is  sometimes 
termed  word-painting,  and  may  mean  two  things,  —  either 
the  vivid  mental  picture  of  a  thing,  or  the  coloring  of  the 
words  themselves  —  a  process  generally  known  as  tone-color. 


III.  — IMPORTANCE  OF  THE  SUBJECT. 

The  value  of  the  study  of  spoken  language  can  scarcely 
be  overrated.  The  human  voice  is  a  great  power  among 
men.  It  is  human  nature  to  want  to  hear  truth  presented 
in  the  most  interesting  and,  if  may  be,  the  most  vivid  man- 
ner; and  although  the  daily  papers  have  become  the  medium 
of  conveying  to  the  masses  current  news  and  general  infor- 
mation, it  is  still  the  province  of  the  public  speaker  to  con- 
vince men  and  move  them  to  action.  This  can  be  done  through 
the  living  voice  and  manner,  by  which  only,  says  Humboldt, 
"  the  speaker  is  able  to  breathe,  as  it  were,  his  own  soul 
into  the  souls  of  his  hearers." 

Another  and  not  less  interesting  use  to  which  the  vocal 
powers  may  be  put,  and  which  is  a  source  of  public  instruc- 
tion and  pleasure  is  the  interpretation,  by  means  of  good 
reading,  of  the  masterpieces  of  literature.  This  need  not  be 
confined  to  the  demands  of  the  general  public  for  entertain- 
ment. What  higher  or  purer  gratification  can  there  be  in 
the  home  or  social  circle  than  the  artistic  reading  of  some 
beautiful  piece  of  literature  ?  This  exercise  is  not  only 
profitable  to  the  listener  but  more  so  to  the  reader,  for  he 
cannot  give  an  intelligent  interpretation  of  language  without 
first  understanding  it  himself. 

Then  far  more  desirable  than  either  of  the  points  men- 
tioned, because  it  is  universal,  is  vocal  accomplishment  in 
conversation.  There  is  no  one  who  is  not  pleased  with  a 
voice  of  pure  vocality,  of  good  Melody,  of  discriminating 


O  INTRODUCTION. 

tone-color,  and  of  other  elements  that  add  to  pleasing  vocal 
effects. 

Let  us  see  how  in  a  public  or  professional  way  the  culti- 
vated voice  and  manner  are  a  source  of  great  power  and 
profit  to  the  possessor.  Suppose  one  has  an  important 
case  to  be  decided  in  the  courts  —  one  in  which  vast 
property  interests  or  even  lives  are  at  stake,  and  let  us 
suppose  that  in  looking  for  an  advocate  he  happens  to  come 
into  a  court  room  where  two  lawyers  are  arguing  a  case. 
Let  these  two  men  be  of  equal  general  scholarship  and  legal 
knowledge  ;  the  one  easy  and  self-possessed  in  his  manner, 
business-like  in  his  choice  of  words,  possessed  of  a  good, 
well  modulated  voice,  and  apparently  natural,  forcible  and 
eloquent  utterance  ;  the  other  awkward  in  his  movements, 
indistinct,  and  hesitating  in  his  utterance,  indiscriminating 
in  Emphasis,  and  possessed  of  a  harsh  voice  and  a  weari- 
some drawl  ;  is  there  any  question  as  to  which  of  the  two 
would  be  selected  to  conduct  the  case  ? 

The  saying  is  as  old  as  Quintilian  that  a  poor  discourse 
well  delivered  will  have  a  better  effect  than  a  good  discourse 
poorly  delivered ;  and  that  one  who  has  a  good  discourse 
and  a  good  delivery  has  everything  in  his  favor. 

Emerson  even  goes  so  far  as  to  say  :  "  What  is  said  is  the 
least  part  of  an  oration.  It  is  the  attitude  taken,  the 
unmistakable  sign,  never  so  casually  given,  in  tone  of  voice, 
or  manner,  or  word,  that  a  greater  spirit  speaks  from  you 
than  is  spoken  to  in  him." 

Beecher  says  of  the  cultivated  voice  that  it  "  is  like  an 
orchestra.  It  ranges  high,  intermediate,  or  low  uncon- 
sciously to  him  who  uses  it,  and  men  listen  quite  unaware 
that  they  have  been  bewitched  out  of  their  weariness  by  the 
charms  of  a  voice  not  artificial  but  made  by  assiduous  train- 
ing to  be  his  second  nature." 


INTRODUCTION. 


IV.  — DIVISIONS. 

PART  I. 

MAN'S   TRIUNE   NATURE  ;   THE  VOICE  AS   AN   INSTRUMENT  ; 

RESPIRATION  ;  VOCAL  CULTURE  ;  PRONUNCIATION  ; 

AND  EMPHASIS. 

PART  II. 
THE  ELEMENTS  OF  VOCAL  EXPRESSION. 

PART  III. 
THE  ELEMENTS  OF  ACTION. 

APPENDIX. 
TRUTH,  PERSONALITY,  AND  ART  IN  ORATORY. 


PART    I 


UNDER  this  division  of  our  subject  we  will  study  man  as 
a  Psychic  Being  seeking  expression  through  the  laws  of 
Elocution  ;  the  Mechanism  of  the  Human  Voice  as  an  instru- 
ment of  expression,  Respiration,  and  Vocal  Culture;  the 
Phonetic  values  of  sounds  and  syllables  in  Pronunciation  ; 
and  the  Emphasis  of  words  which  embody  the  ideas  of 
language.  A  discussion  of  these  topics  will  dispose  of 
much  valuable  matter  which  is  inseparably  connected  with 
expression,  but  which  cannot  be  treated  as  Elements  of 
Elocution. 

CHAPTER    L— MAN'S    TRIUNE   NATURE. 

I.     THE    PSYCHIC   UNITY. 

THE  object  of  Elocution  is  to  help  the  student  to  give  a 
correct  outward  manifestation  of  his  inward  consciousness, 
or,  in  other  words,  to  express  that  which  has  been  im- 
pressed. An  analysis  of  this  inward  consciousness  —  this 
Psychic  Being  as  a  Unity  —  reveals  the  threefold  division  ; 
I.  The  Vital  Nature,  II.  The  Mental  Nature,  and  III.  The 
Emotive 1  Nature.  Presiding  over  these  three  natures  are 
Life,  Mind,  and  Soul,  respectively.  The  word  life  in  this 

1  It  will  be  observed  that  instead  of  the  word  Moral  ascribed  to 
Delsarte  we  have  used  the  broader  and  less  confusing  term  Emotive 
first  used  in  this  sense  by  that  discriminating  philosopher,  Professor 
Moses  True  Brown,  of  Boston.  In  the  discussions  which  follow  it  will 
be  seen  that  Moral  is  given  as  a  specific  division  of  the  generic,  Emotive. 


sense  means  the  "physical  manifestations"      Let  us  briefly 
consider  each  of  these  divisions. 

1.  The    Vital    Nature.    "Man   as  a   Psychic  Being  is 
Vital,  Sensitive,  Instinctive.     Through  this  part  of  his  Being 
he  exEIBits"  the  phenomena  of  life"  and  reveals  the  various 
manifestations  of  his  pKysical  organism.     That  organism  is 
made  up  of   bone,   muscle,  sinews,    nerves,    the  brain  and 
other    organs,    all    of    which    are    susceptible    alike  to  the 
buoyant   thrills    of  healthful  living    and    to    the  aches  and 
pains  "that  flesh  is  heir  to."     It  is  the  seat  of  the  appetites, 
the  dwelling-place  of  the  mind,  and  the  temple  of  the  soul ; 
in  obedience  to  each  it  acts  and  gives  forth  that  tone  or 
look  or  gesture  or  attitude  which  reveals  the  psychic  state. 

2.  The  Mental  Nature.      In  his  "  Synthetic  Philosophy 
of  Expression/'    Professor   Brown  says:     "Man    is  Mental,, 
Intellectual^  Reflective^    Through  this  part  of  his  Being  he 
e"xKibits  the  phenomena  of  Mind.     He  thinks,  and  compares 
his  thoughts  with  things.     He  perceives,  and  recalls  what  he 
has  perceived,  and  projects  pictures  of  what  he  has  seen. 
1  le  reasons,  and  links  his  reasonings  into  propositions.     He 
is  the  only  being  on  earth  who  uses  the  syllogism.     Through 
the  faculties  of  mind  man  attains  to  all  knowledge.     They 
are  the  instruments  with  which  he  constructs  his  science, 
art  and  literature." 

3.  The  Emotive  Nature.      "Man  is  Emotional,  Passional, 
Ethical,  Spiritual.     Through  thispart  of  mVBeing  he  ex- 
hibits the  phenomena,  of  Emotions.     He  loves  and  hates; 
is    sympathetic    and    affectionate,   or   bears    antipathy  and 
enmity.     He  is  benevolent  or  malevolent.     He  is  loyal  or 
disloyal   to   his  concepts  of  truth  and  duty.     He  worships 
and  is  spiritual.     His  adoration  may  even  reach  mysticism." 

II.     THE    PSYCHIC   PENTARCHY. 

We   have   taken    the    liberty   to    reconstruct    Professor 
Brown's  diagram,  and   adapting   it   to   man  as  a  Psychic 


IO  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Being  rather  than  to  all  sentient  life  as  "an  energy  cen- 
tered in  nerve  substance,"  we  here  present  a  pentarchy 
for  each  of  the  three  natures  as  follows :  — 

.--Rational 


—  Memorative 
~^^  ~   "—Perceptive 
^Instinctive 


^ 

/  j,**   ^---  Sentient 

MAN*--  -------  1-  VITAL.<~.:  —Material    - 


\  "">Affectional,  Passional 

\  „-''     ^.-  -Self-preservative 

\  ^"^'  -'"""' 

N*  III.  EMOTIVE.  ^L"  -------  Social 


^-Spiritual 

Consistent  with  the  evolution  of  life,  and  also  with  modern 
psychological  thought,  the  Emotive  should  be  placed  between 
the  Mental  and  the  Vital;  but  the  above  is  the  only  arrange- 
ment which  will  give  Instinct  and  Affection  or  Passion  as 
pivotal  points  in  the  scale.  That  these  are  pivotal  points  will- 
be  shown  in  the  discussion  which  follows.  To  explain  briefly, 
Man  is  a  Material  body  and  of  that  nature  which  scientists 
call  Sensitive.  At  birth  he  is  the  most  helpless  of  the 
higher  animals;  yet  in  this  creation  of  "organized  possibili- 
ties "  are  the  hidden  elements  of  superiority  over  all  other 
animals;  he  represents  the  Vital  nature  with  the  Mental  and 
Emotive  embryonic.  He  does  not  think,  or  love,  or  hate; 
he  simply  lives.  He  is  Sentient,  because  he  is  an  animal 
organism.  His  sensations  are  those  of  physical  pain  or 
pleasure.  Like  other  animals  he  is  Instinctive,  and  herein 
we  enter  the  border-land  of  the  Intellect.  It  is  impossible 
to  draw  the  exact  dividing  line  between  Instinct  as  a  Vital 


MAN  S    TRIUNE    NATURE.  I  I 

function  and  Instinct  as  a  Mental  process.  One  day  the 
child  stretches  forth  its  little  hands  and  we  say  this  is  In- 
stinct growing  out  of  its  Sensitive  nature;  the  next  day  we 
note  the  same  action  and  say  it  is  prompted  by  the  first 
gleam  of  the  dawning  intellect.  The  next  step  beyond  the 
Instinctive  is  Perception,  which  represents  the  awakened 
Mental  nature.  Impressions  are  recorded  in  the  brain  and 
the  retentive  or  Memorative  faculty  (if  this  word  may 
be  allowed)  is  developed  and  strengthened.  The  memory 
grows,  and  the  play  of  the  Imagination  begins.  The  mind 
develops;  out  of  Perception  and  Memory  Reason  is  born 
and  henceforth  sits  enthroned  as  the  crowning  faculty  of 
the  Mental  nature. 

But  during  this  mental  growth  the  Emotive  nature  has 
also  developed.  Out  of  the  suppliance  of  the  Vital  wants 
the  Affectional  characteristics  spring,  and  the  child  feels 
the  emotion  of  Affection  for  his  mother.  The  Passional, 
which  may  manifest  itself  either  as  love  or  hate,  evidently 
springs  out  of  both  the  Vital  and  Emotive  natures,  and  is 
but  an  intensified  form  of  the  Affectional.  The  emotion 
of  Self-preservation  finds  its  birth  with  the  Affectional 
nature,  though,  perhaps,  it  develops  more  slowly.  The  first 
manifestation  is  tha^:  of  surprise  awakened  by  each  new  con- 
dition of  life ;  then  the  emotion  of  fright  takes  hold  of  the 
child  in  the  absence  of  those  who  administer  to  his  comfort 
and  shield  him  from  harm.  Out  of  this  characteristic  a 
long  line  of  emotions  spring,  such  as  secrecy,  caution,  amaze- 
ment, fear,  dread,  horror,  and  terror.  With  the  feeling  of 
Self-protection  and  dependence  upon  others,  the  child's 
Affection  now  includes  the  other  members  of  the  family 
and  his  Social  characteristics  become  patent  ;  later  in  life, 
as  these  unfold,  they  extend  to  the  tribe,  the  nation,  and, 
finally  in  the  highest  sense,  to  all  mankind,  as  children 
of  a  common  parent.  Social  relations  impose  upon  him 
the  sense  of  duty  to  his  associates,  and  his  Moral  nature 


12  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

is  touched.  In  a  concrete  way  he  learns  the  significance  of 
"good"  and  "bad,"  and  becomes  morally  responsible  for 
his  exercise  of  right  and  wrong.  But  his  convictions  of 
right  and  wrong  are  prompted  solely  by  duty  to  himself  and 
to  his  associates.  There  must  be  a  higher  sense  of  duty  — 
that  of  intrinsic  duty,  or  the  exercise  of  right  for  right's  sake, 
independent  of  its  relation  to  self  or  to  fellow-beings  ; 
herein  is  the  Spiritual  nature  made  manifest.  With  the 
exercise  of  faith  in  man  and  in  the  immutable  laws  of  life 
and  nature,  the  Spiritual  powers  attain  conceptions  of  God, 
creation,  and  eternity.  In  this  the  highest  attribute  of  his 
Emotive  nature  he  may  even  penetrate  the  otherwise 
"  Unknown  and  Unknowable,"  and  prophet-like  he  proclaims 
the  mysteries  of  Revelation. 

Observe  that  the  central  point  in  our  diagram  is  the 
appearance  of  Life  in  a  Material  body  which  is  the  first 
Vital  condition  ;  Reason  is  placed  as  the  supreme  faculty 
of  the  mind,  and  the  Spiritual  as  the  culminating  attribute 
of  the  soul ;  with  the  evolutional  steps  leading  from  this 
mean  to  these  extremes,  the  wide  scope  of  this  subject  is 
apparent.  Even  a  cursory  treatment  would  lead  into  psy- 
chological discussions  of  such  length  as  to  defeat  the  main 
purpose  of  this  volume. 

Accepting  the  above,  however,  as  the  principal  channels 
through  which  man  receives  impressions,  the  question  now 
arises  :  "  How  may  these  impressions,  affecting  these  three 

•  Natures,  be  expressed  ?  "  We  answer,  "  Through  Voice  and 
Action."  Then  the  philosophy  of  the  manifestations  of 
Man's  Triune  Nature  through  the  agency  of  Voice  and 
Action  is  the  philosophy  of  human  expression. 

III.     DELSARTE'S    CONTRIBUTION. 

We  here  turn  to  the  teachings  of  the  eminent  French 
Philosopher,  Francois  Delsarte,  who  was  the  first  to  apply 


MANS    TRIUNE    NATURE.  13 

the  time-honored  theory  of  man's  Triune  Nature  to  the 
practical  purposes  of  expression  in  art.  Upon  the  law  that 
each  of  man's  natures  must  find  its  expression  through  the 
agency  of  corresponding  Zones  and  Movements  of  the  bodyy 
Delsarte  constructed  a  transcendental  philosophy  which 
applies  with  equal  truth  to  painting,  sculpture,  and  acting. 
We  even  catch  a  gleam  of  its  application  to  song  and  to 
vocal  Elocution ;  but  Delsarte  died  without  publishing  his 
philosophy  to  the  world,  and  his  pupils1  have  practically 
applied  his  theories  only  to  Action.  But  a  theory  so  founded 
on  facts  and  deep-rooted  in  our  Psychic  Being  must  apply 
to  vocal  expression  ;  and  along  this  line  we  would  direct 
our  investigations. 

IV.  LAW  OF  INTERDEPENDENCE  AND  BLENDS- 

Before  closing  this  chapter  we  would  call  attention  to  two 
other  very  important  principles  embodied  in  the  Delsarte 
philosophy,  namely  :  —  the_  Interdependence  of  the  three 
Natures,  and  their  Blends  in  expression.  To  quote  Arnaud, 
"  Life  and  mind  are  one  and  the  same  soul ;  soul  and  mind 
are  one  and  the  same  life  ;  life  and  soul  are  one  and  the 
same  mind." 

The  existence  of  a  soul  implies  the  existence  of  a  human 
being  as  distinguished  from  a  lower  order  of  the  animal 
kingdom.  Destroy  the  mind  and  the  man  becomes  an  idiot, 
though  his  body  and  soul  may  live.  Cause  the  vital  funJfc|ns 
of  the  body  to  cease  and  all  physical  manifestations  must 
also  cease,  and  we  say  of  our  friend,  "he  is  dead  ";  but  the 
mental  impress  of  his  thought  remains  with  us,  and  his  mind 
lives  in  this  cherished  letter,  that  characteristic  poem,  or 
yonder  book  in  the  library  ;  and  with  reverence  we  meditate 
upon  the  joys  of  his  liberated  soul. 

1  See  "  System  of  Delsarte,"  by  Abbe  Delaumosne  and  Anglique 
Arnaud,  published  by  Edgar  S.  Werner,  New  York. 


14  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Furthermore  we  may  observe  that  in  one  person  the  Vital 
predominates,  in  another  Mentality  leads,  and  in  yet  another 
the  Emotive  characteristics  are  in  the  ascendency  ;  but  in  all 
cases  the  three  natures  are  present  and  blended  in  the  one 
person. 

Then  the  existence  of  one  of  the  three  natures  of  a  living 
psychic  Being  implies  the  existence  of  the  other  two,  just  as 
one  side  of  a  triangle  implies  the  existence  of  two  other 
sides. 

So  in  the  expression  of  any  given  thought  or  fee/ing  all 
three  natures  are  represented,  but  one  leads  while  the  other 
two  assist  and  blend  in  relative  degrees  of  manifestation. 
For  instance,  in  anger  the  Emotive  leads,  followed  closely 
by  the  Vital,  and  in  a  lesser  degree  by  the  Mental,  so  that 
anger  may  be  called  a  Mento-Vito-Emotive  passion.  In 
didactic  thought  the  Mental  leads,  then  comes  the  Vital  and 
lastly  follows  at  more  remote  distance  the  Emotive,  so  that 
didactic  language  shows  Emoto-Vito-Mental  thought.  In 
courage  the  Vital  leads,  closely  followed  by  the  Mental  and 
Emotive  making  a  Mento-Emoto-Vital  state,  and  the  whole 
Being  is  aroused  to  action. 

Applying  this  principle  of  analysis  to  the  vocal  phe- 
nomena of  expression  we  shall  hope  to  "evolve  such  an 
orderly  procedure  of  statement "  as  shall  claim  the  attention 
of  the  earnest  student. 


:HAPTER  IL— THE  VOCAL  APPARATUS. 

It  is  not  necessary,  within  the  limits  of  this  volume,  to  go 
into  a  thorough  study  of  the  structure  of  the  organs  of 
voice.  Let  this  be  reserved  for  the  specialist  in  anatomy, 
though  a  limited  knowledge  of  the  function  and  relation  df 
these  organs  cannot  but  aid  the  thoughtful  student  in  vocal- 
ization. 


ORGANS. 


SECTION  I.  — ORGANS. 

The  voice   as  an  instrument  of  speech   consists  of  the 
following  parts  :  — 

1.  The  Lungs.  4.   The  Pharynx. 

2.  The  Trachea  and  Bronchi.      5.   The  Nasal  Cavities. 

3.  The  Larynx.  6.   The  Mouth. 


~~  ':'~~^~-^L^ 


Fig.  I.  —  Lungs,  Trachea  and  Bronchi,  and  Larynx,     r,  Thyroid  cartilage  of  larynx 
2,  Cricoid  cartilage  of  larynx ;  3,  Trachea ;  4,  Bronchi  and  their  subdivisions. 


1 6  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

I.   THE  LUNGS. 

The  Lungs  constitute  the  bellows  of  the  vocal  apparatus. 
They  are  two  light,  spongy  masses  situated  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  trunk,  and  surrounded  by  a  tough  double  fold  called 
the  pleura.  This  flexible  mass  is  conical  in  shape  pointing 
upward,  with  the  base  resting  on  the  muscular  floor  of  the 
diaphragm.  The  right  lung  is  larger  than  the  left  and  has 
three  distinct  lobes,  while  the  left  has  but  two,  and  has  in 
its  anterior  a  hollow  into  which  is  inserted  the  apex  of  the 
heart.  The  ramifications  of  the  bronchi  reach  into  the 
extremities  of  the  lungs  and  lose  their  identity  in  the  air 
cells  of  the  soft  tissues. 

It  is  the  function  of  the  lungs  to  receive  and  supply  air 
to  sustain  life,  and  for  the  purposes  of  speech.  The  lubri- 
cating fluid  between  the  smooth  walls  of  the  pleura  renders 
respiration  comparatively  without  friction.  The  process  of 
respiration  will  be  fully  explained  below. 

II.   THE  TRACHEA  AND  BRONCHI. 

The  Trachea  or  wind-pipe  consists  of  a  series  of  some 
twenty  cartilagenous  rings  which  form  the  great  air  passage 
to  the  lungs.  It  is  located  partly  in  the  neck  and  partly  in 
the  chest.  These  muscular  rings  and  the  tissues  which 
connect  them  are  capable  of  being  distended  or  narrowed, 
IjMthened  or  shortened,  and  aid  materially  in  the  flexibility 
arnF  resonance  of  tone. 

About  four  or  five  inches  from  the  larynx  there  is  a 
bifurcation  of  the  trachea  ;  these  branches  extend  into  the 
lungs,  the  one  to  the  right  the  other  to  the  left,  and  are 
called  Bronchi.  These  tubes  are  divided  and  subdivided 
like  the  branches  of  a  tree  until  they  terminate  in  the  minute 
air  cells  of  the  lungs.  See  Fig.  i.  The  function  of  the 
bronchi  in  voice  production  is  the  same  as  that  of  the 
trachea,  they  give  individuality  and  resonance  to  tone. 


ORGANS.  1 7 

III.   THE  LARYNX. 

The  Larynx  or  voice-box,  in  which  all  vocal  tone  origi- 
nates is  an  irregular,  funnel-shaped  organ,  about  three  inches 
in  length,  situated  at  the  J> 
top  of  the  trachea.  It  con- 
sists of  five  principal  carti- 
lages. 

i .  Cartilages  of  the  Larynx. 

(1)  The    Cricoid     (ring- 
shaped)  cartilage  rests  on 
the  upper  ring  of  the  tra- 
chea and  is  the  foundation 
of  the  larynx.     It  is  narrow 
in  front  and  broad  behind, 
and,  like  the  rings  of  the 
trachea,  it  is  capable  of  dis- 
tention,  and  relaxation,  aid- 
ing materially  in  variety  of 
tone.     (See  Fig.  2.) 

(2 )  The  Thyroid  (shield)         fig.  2.  -  Larynx. .  ,,  Section  of  Trachea ; 
Cartilage    is  attached  tO  the    2'  Cricoid cartilage  ;3)3,  Arytenoid  cartilages; 

.       .  4,  Vocal  Cords ;  5,  section  of  Thyroid  cartil- 

CriCOld     above.         The     tWO    age .  6,  left  horn  of  Thyroid  cartilage. 

broad  plates,  which  act  as 

a  shield  to  protect  the  more  delicate  parts  of  the  vocal 
instrument,  unite  in  front,  forming  a  protuberance*  called 
the  "Adam's  apple."  (Fig.  i.) 

At  the  back,  without  uniting,  and  completely  surrounding 
the  larynx,  they  terminate  in  vertical  prolongations  called 
the  horns  of  the  cartilage.  The  size  of  this  cartilage  deter- 
mines largely  the  capacity  of  the  voice.  The  smaller  the 
cartilage  the  lighter  the  voice,  the  larger  the  cartilage  the 
more  voluminous  the  voice,  and  the  more  solid  the  cartilage 
the  more  sonorous  the  voice.  (Figs,  i  and  2.) 


1 8  PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 

(3)  and  (4)  The  Arytenoid  (pitcher-shaped)  cartilages 
are  attached  at  the  back  of  the  larynx  to  the  broad  part 
of  the  cricoid  cartilage,  connecting  it  with  the  thyroid. 
(Fig.  2.)  They  are  so  attached  as  to  allow  of  movements 
of  great  freedom  and  rapidity,  and  are  the  most  important 
of  the  cartilages  because  they  serve  as  points  of  attachment 
for  the  vocal  cords. 

The  shape  of  the  glottis,  the  tension  of  the  cords,  and  the 
consequent  variety  in  pitch  are  chiefly  dependent  upon  the 
action  of  these  cartilages. 

(5)  The  Epiglottis  (cover  cartilage)  is  a  small  ovated  lid 
that  falls  back  and  closes  up  the  mouth  of  the  larynx  during 
the  act  of  swallowing.  It  also  plays  some  part  in  the  direc- 
tion and  character  of  vocal  sound  ;  when  the  tongue  is  de- 
pressed at  the  back,  and  this  lid  is  partly  closed,  the  effect 
upon  tone  i§  to  render  it  duller  and  deeper.  (See  Fig.  8.) 

2.   Vocal  Cords. 

(i)  The  True  Vocal  Cords  are  two  pearly-white  ligaments 
surmounting  corresponding  triangular  ledges  of  muscle. 
They  stand  in  a  horizontal  position  across  the  voice  box, 
being  attached  at  the  back  to  the  vocal  processes  of  the 
arytenoid  cartilages,  at  the  front  to  the  point  of  meeting 
of  the  two  plates  of  the  thyroid  cartilage,  and  throughout 
their  length  to  the  plates  of  this  same  cartilage.  (Fig.  2.) 
The  expired  air  passes  on  but  one  side  of  each  cord,  the 
vibrating  part  being  their  thin  edges.  In  the  production  of 
pure  tone  the  cords  stand  but  little  more  than  a  hair's  breadth 
apart,  while  in  aspirated  tones  they  are  separated  to  a  dis- 
tance proportionate  to  the  amount  of  breath  employed  ;  in 
gentle  respiration  they  are  thrown  moderately  wide  apart  at 
the  back  forming  a  triangular  opening,  w<hile  in  full  and 
deep  breathing  they  are  thrown  entirely  back,  forming  an 
oval  passage,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  accompanying  illus- 
trations. 


ORGANS. 


These  changes  are  chiefly 
arytenoid  cartilages,  while  the 
duction  of  varying  degrees 
of  pitch,  depends  upon  the 
vertical  and  forward  move- 
ments of  the  thyroid  carti- 
lage. It  is  also  interesting 
to  note  that  the  lighter  the 
tone  the  thinner  the  vibrating 
part,  and  the  more  volumi- 
nous the  tone  the  thicker 
the  vibrating  part  of  the 
cord.  See  accompanying 
figures  6  and  7. 

(2)  The  False  Vocal  Cords 
with   the  True  Vocal   Cords 


effected  by  the  action  of  the 
tension,  necessary  for  the  pro- 


Fig.  4.  —  Position  of  cords  in  gentle 
breathing,  i,  i,  Vocal  Cords ;  2,  2,  False 
Cords ;  3,  Epiglottis ;  4,  Rings  of  Trachea. 

ping  the  passage  while  hold- 
ing the  breath  so  as  to  re- 
lieve the  tension  of  the  in- 
spiratory  muscles.  Dr.  C.  W. 
Emerson  in  his  excellent 
work  on  "  Physical  Culture," 
says,  "  When  a  perfectly 
healthy  person  has  fully  in- 
haled, the  superior  vocal 
cords  close  simultaneously 
with  the  relaxing  of  all  the 


Fig.  3.  —  Position  of  the  cords  in  tone 
production,  taken  from  photograph  of  the 
organs  by  means  of  the  larynxgoscope. 
i,  i,  Vocal  Cords ;  2,  2,  False  Vocal  Cords ; 
3,  Epiglottis. 


.  —  Above  and  nearly  parallel 
are  the  False  (or  Superior) 
Vocal  Cords.  They  are  sim- 
ilar in  shape  and  structure 
to  the  True  Cords,  except 
that  there  are  no  white 
vibrating  ligaments.  Their 
chief  function  is  to  assist 
in  regulating  the  expendi- 
ture of  breath  and  in  stop- 


Fig.  5.  —  Position  of  cords  in  deep 
breathing,  i,  i,  Vocal  Cords;  2,2,  False 
Cords ;  3,  Epiglottis ;  4,  Rings  of  Trachea ; 
5,  5,  Openings  into  the  Bronchi. 


20 


PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 


muscles  of  inspiration  and  the  contraction  of  all  the  muscles 
of  expiration.  These  latter  muscles  drive  the  air  upward, 
but  it  cannot  escape  easily  from  the  lungs,  because  the 
superior  vocal  cords,  by  their  contraction,  have  closed  the 
glottis,  and  they  must  be  driven  apart  by  the  air  being 
forced  up  between  them.  While  the  breath  is  escaping  with 


Tig.  6. — Section  of  the  larynx  show- 
ing the  position  of  the  vocal  cords  in 
the  production  of  clear,  light  tones. 

i,  i,  Vocal  Cords ;  2,  2,  False  Cords ; 
3,  Pockets  of  the  Larynx. 


Fig".  7.  —  Showing  position  of  the 
cords  in  full  voluminous  tones. 

i.  i,  Vocal  Cords ;  2,  2,  False  Cords ; 
3,  Pockets  of  the  Larynx. 


such  difficulty,  it  will  be  driven  into  the  apexes  of  the 
lungs."  The  spaces  between  the  true  and  false  cords  are 
called  the  Pockets.  These  False  Cords  and  Pockets  are 
shown  in  cuts,  6,  and  7. 

It  is  not  definitely  known  what  part  these  Pockets  play  in 
vocalization,  but  it  is  supposed  that  they  act  as  a  protection 
to  the  true  cords,  retain  moisture  to  lubricate  them,  afford 
room  for  their  free  vibration,  and  serve  as  resonators. 

IV.    THE  PHARYNX. 

The  Pharynx  is  that  portion  of  the  throat  between  the 
larynx  and  the  nasal  cavities.  It  may  be  seen  at  the  largest 
part  when  the  mouth  is  well  open,  the  tongue  depressed, 
and  the  palate  lifted.  The  upper  part,  sometimes  called  the 
Vault,  or  Dome  of  the  pharynx,  is  one  of  the  most  important 


ORGANS. 


cavities  of  resonance  (see  Fig.  8).  A  large  and  open 
pharynx  is  necessary  to  a  full,  smooth  voice.  When  the 
muscles  are  contracted  and  the  passage  made  rough,  the 
tones  are  correspondingly  disagreeable.  This  part  of  the 
vocal  apparatus  is  the  seat  of  that  wasting  disease  called 
"  Clerical  Sore-Throat, "  which  is  the  result  not  so  much 
of  excessive,  as  of  misdirected,  effort  in  vocalization. 


Fig.  8.  — Vertical  section  of  the  mouth,  left  nostril,  and  pharynx.  2,  Cartilage  of 
Nose  ;  8,  Cavity  in  the  bone  ;  9,  Posterior  cavity  of  nostril ;  10,  Opening  of  the  Eusta- 
chian  tube  ;  12,  Soft  Palate,  Uvula  ;  14,  Hard  Palate  ;  16,  Tongue,  forming  the  floor  of 
the  mouth;  17,  Base  of  tongue  ;  18,  19,  20,  Muscles  ;  21,  22,  Folds  between  which  (23) 
the  tonsil  lies  ;  24,  Tongue,  where  it  forms  part  of  the  Pharynx ;  26,  Pharynx,  near 
Larynx  ;  28,  Cavity  of  Larynx;.  29,  Vocal  Cords;  30,  Epiglottis;  32,  Thyroid  cartilage  ; 
33,  its  upper  border;  35,  36,  Cricoid  cartilage;  37,  Membrane  joining  Cricoid  and 
Thyroid  cartilages. 


22  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

V.  THE  NASAL  CAVITIES. 

The  nasal  cavities  constitute  a  very  important  part  of  the 
vocal  apparatus.  They  are  two  irregularly  constructed 
cavities  separated  by  a  bony  partition,  and  having  for  their 
base  the  hard  palate.  There  are  three  channels  in  each 
passage  so  arranged  as  to  present  as  much  surface  as 
possible  to  the  incoming  air.  All  these  parts  are  lined  with 
a  delicate  mucous  membrane,  which  has  on  its  surface 
innumerable  hair-like  projections  that  point  outward  and 
arrest  any  particles  of  dust  that  might  otherwise  be  carried 
into  the  lungs.  (Fig.  8.) 

The 'bones  and  cartilages  of  the  nose  are  to  the  voice 
what  the  sounding  board  of  a  piano  is  to  that  instrument  — 
they  act  as  resonators,  giving  to  tone  ring  and  character. 

When  the  delicate  membrane  that  lines  these  cavities 
becomes  diseased  and  fails  to  perform  its  functions,  one 
of  the  first  results  is  a  change  in  the  timbre  of  the  voice. 
The  smooth  surfaces  lose  their  resonating  qualities  and 
become  deadened  by  growths  which  come  of  catarrh,  that 
fearful  enemy  of  the  public  speaker. 

The  nose  is  the  natural  air  passage  in  normal  breathing. 
There  are  four  principal  reasons  why  one  should  breathe 
through  the  nostrils  :  — 

(1)  The  nose  tempers  the  air. 

(2)  It  purifies  or  filters  the  air. 

(3)  //    keeps    the  passages    open    and    renders    them   less 
susceptible  to  disease. 

(4)  It  prevents  dryness  of  the  mouth  occasioned  by  inhaling 
dry    air   through    the    moist  organs,  and    prevents    certain 
diseases  of  the  gums,  teeth,  and  salivary  glands,  and  other 
ills  that  mouth-breathers  are  heir  to. 

VI.   THE  MOUTH. 

The  only  part  of  the  mouth  whose  function  is  not  gener- 
ally understood  by  the  student  is  the  palate.  The  hard 


ORGANS.  23 

palate  forms  the  dome  of  the  mouth  and  the  base  of  the 
nasal  cavities.  It  is  a  bony  arch  lined  with  mucous  mem- 
brane and  forms  one  of  the  chief  resonators  of  the  voice. 

The  soft  palate  is  attached  to  the  posterior  part  of  this 
arch  and  consists  of  a  flexible  muscular  fold  that  hangs  like 
a  curtain  between  the  mouth  and  the  pharynx.  The  tri- 
angular, mobile  muscle,  pendant  from  the  soft  palate  and 
terminating  it,  is  called  the  uvula. 

The  soft  palate  is  one  of  the  most  important  regulators  of 
the  shape  and  resonance  of  tone,  and  consequently  plays  a 
leading  part  in  vocalization.  It  acts  as  an  adjustable 
partition  by  means  of  which,  at  will,  the  current  of  breath 
or  voice  may  be  sent  either  through  the  mouth  or  the 
nostrils  or  may  be  divided  between  the  two  organs,  as  is 
the  case  with  many  vocal  elements.  In  the  production  of 
the  vowel  sounds  the  soft  palate  is  thrown  back  toward  the 
upper  part  of  the  pharynx,  and  the  stream  of  tone  is 
directed  through  the  mouth,  some  letters  requiring  a  very 
narrow  and  others  a  wide  opening  between  the  tongue  and 
the  palate.  According  to  Brown  and  Behnke  "  the  closure 
is  modified  for  the  different  vowel  sounds  as  follows  :  It 
is  loosest  for  a,  tighter  for  a,  tighter  again  for  <?,  tighter  still 
for  do,  tightest  of  all  for  e.  It  must  also  be  observed  that 
the  closure  is  never  sufficiently  tight  to  prevent  the  setting 
up  of  co-vibrations  in  the  nasal  cavities  with  those  passing 
from  the  pharynx  into  the  mouth." 

In  the  production  of  nasal  sounds,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
stream  of  tone  passes  wholly  through  the  nasal  cavities,  m 
requiring  the  lips  closed,  n  the  tongue  pressed  firmly  against 
the  front  of  the  hard  palate,  and  ng  a  strong  contact  of  the 
soft  palate  with  the  back  of  the  tongue. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  action  of  the  soft  palate  in  the 
production  of  different  degrees  of  pitch.  The  higher  the 
pitch  of  the  tone  the  more  elevated  the  palate,  until  in 
the  highest  notes  of  the  Falsetto  it  is  tensely  arched  against 


24  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

the  upper  part  of  the  pharynx,  and  the  uvula  is  so  contracted 
as  to  be  scarcely  distinguishable  from  the  outline  of  the  soft 
palate. 

SECTION   II.  — MUSCLES. 

It  is  entirely  beyond  the  scope  of  this  work  to  enter  into 
a  study  of  all  the  muscles  that  assist  in  voice  production. 
It  will  be  sufficient  to  notice  only  the  most  important  of 
those  which  are  concerned  in  respiration. 

I.   THE  DIAPHRAGM. 

The  Diaphragm  is  a  strong,  muscular  partition  which 
separates  the  chest  from  the  abdomen.  It  stands  like  a 
vaulted  arch  in  the  cavity  of  the  chest,  {he  front  edge  being 
higher  than  the  back  so  that,  in  contracting,  the  center  of 
the  arch  takes  a  forward  as  well  as  a  downward  direction. 
As  the  diaphragm  contracts  the  arch  approximates  a  plane, 
pushing  downward  and  forward  the  abdominal  viscera,  and 
elongating  the  cavity  of  the  chest  vertically.  Its  outer  rim, 
attached,  as  it  is,  to  the  lower  ribs  is  held  firmly  to  its  place 
by  the  intercostal  muscles,  or  is  made  more  tense  by  their 
action,  as  is  the  case  in  lower  costal  breathing.  The  chief 
function,  then,  of  the  diaphragm  is  its  contraction  and  conse- 
quent approximation  to  a  plane,  and  its  elasticity  when  relaxed 
in  expiration  (see  Fig.  9). 

II.    THE  ABDOMINAL  MUSCLES. 

The  Abdominal  Muscles  constitute  the  flexible  wall  that 
bounds  the  anterior  portion  of  the  abdomen.  They  are 
attached  above  to  the  lower  ribs  and  assist  in  drawing  them 
down  to  diminish  the  cavity  of  the  chest.  But  their  chief 
function  is  to  drive  back  the  viscera  and  diaphragm  into  the 
cavity  of  the  chest,  and  in  this  way  to  expel  the  air  with 
more  vigor  than  can  possibly  be  attained  by  the  elasticity  of 
the  diaphragm  alone.  These  muscles  are  indispensable  in 


MUSCLES,  25 

forced  expiration  and  in  sustained  notes  of  song  or  speech.  In 
ordinary  tranquil  breathing  the  abdominal  muscles,  although 
in  motion,  are  not  actively  exerted,  the  movement  being  chiefly 
the  result  of  the  action  of  the  diaphragm.  They  are  active 
only  in  forced 'expiration,  and  become  the  involuntary  means  of 
strong  vocal  effects ;  it  is  therefore  of  the  utmost  importance 
to  the  public  speaker  that  they  be  made  strong  by  exercise 
(see  Fig.  9). 

III.   THE  INTERCOSTAL  MUSCLES. 

The  chief  muscles  of  the  chest  are  the  Outer  and  Inner 
Intercostal  muscles.  There  are  eleven  on  each  side.  They 
are  attached  severally  to  the  lower  edge  of  each  rib  and  to 
the  upper  edge  of  the  next  below.  The  upper  ribs  are  held 
to  their  place  by  muscles  attached  to  the  clavicle  and 
shoulders.  The  fibres  of  the  Outer  Intercostal  muscles 
extend  downward  and  forward.  In  contracting,  each 
muscle  moves  freely  and  with  a  strong  leverage  on  the  rib 
below  it.  The  lower  ribs  being  longer  than  the  upper,  move 
more  freely  and  through  a  greater  arc,  and  as  they  approxi- 
mate a  horizontal  position  the  cavity  of  the  chest  is  enlarged 
proportionately  in  all  directions. 

The  fibres  of  the  Inner  Intercostal  muscles,  on  the  other 
hand,  run  almost  at  right  angles  with  those  of  the  outer 
muscles,  and  serve,  in  forced  expiration  only,  to  draw  the 
ribs  downward  to  the  position  of  repose,  to  which  their  own 
weight  and  the  elasticity  of  the  outer  muscles  would  ordi- 
narily bring  them. 

IV.   THE  CHEST  MUSCLES. 

There  are,  moreover,  muscles  yet  higher  on  the  trunk 
which  act  upon  the  collar-bone  and  enlarge  the  cavity  of 
the  chest  vertically.  This,  however,  is  a  reserve,  rather 
than  a  usual,  act  of  breathing,  and  is  used  in  very  full 
inspirations  or  when  the  lower  extremities  of  the  lungs  are 
affected  by  disease.  It  is  the  function  of  these  muscles  to 
help  to  sustain  the  chest  in  a  vigorous,  healthful  position. 


26  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

SECTION    III.— HEALTH    OF   THE   VOCAL   ORGANS. 

Before  giving  any  exercises  for  strengthening  the  organs 
of  respiration,  a  few  words  in  regard  to  the  health  of  the 
vocal  organs  may  not  be  unwelcome  to  the  student. 

The  diseases  of  the  vocal  organs  are  not  always  the  result 
of  colds  and  sore  throat.  It  is  believed  that  more  trouble 
comes  from  general  than  from  local  disturbances.  Sickness 
of  any  kind  tends  to  weaken  the  voice,  and  nothing  more 
surely  than  a  disordered  digestion.  In  fact,  colds  are  some- 
times the  result  of  a  surfeit  or  indiscretion  in  diet. 

It  is  not  our  province  to  prescribe  food  for  the  speaker  or 
singer  ;  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  wholesome  food  should  be 
taken  in  moderate  quantities  and  at  regular  intervals. 

Regular  habits  in  eating,  sleeping,  bathing,  and  exercise  are 
most  essential  to  rigor  of  mind  and  body.  Physical  exercise 
should  be  vigorous  without  being  violent.  That  exercise 
is  the  best,  in  which  the  mind  is  not  conscious  of  it,  and 
in  which  there  must  be  strife  for  some  other  point  than 
exercise  —  a  game  of  some  kind  which  keeps  the  mind 
intent  on  winning,  and  not  on  the  exercise  necessary  to 
health.  We  would  recommend,  as  some  of  the  most 
beneficial,  rowing,  fencing,  sparring,  tennis,  the  bicycle, 
and,  what  is  more  accessible  but  less  exhilarating,  Indian 
clubs,  dumb  bells,  chest  weights,  and  other  appliances 
common  to  the  ordinary  gymnasium.  After  such  exercises, 
and  indeed  at  all  times,  exposure  to  drafts  should  be  care- 
fully avoided  and  the  body  allowed  to  assume  its  normal 
state  by  degrees. 

It  may  be  well  to  caution  the  speaker  against  using  the 
voice  too  soon  after  a  full  meal,  and  in  a  cold  room,  or  in  the 
open  air  in  raw,  cold  weather.  He  should  wear  the  clothing 
loose  enough  for  the  muscles  of  respiration  to  have  full  and 
free  play.  Herbert  Spencer  speaking  of  the  subject  of  phys- 
ical education  and  its  results,  says,  "  77/6-  first  requisite  to 


INSPIRATION    AND    EXPIRATION.  2? 

success  in  life  is  to  be  a  good  animal ;  and  to  be  a  nation  of  good 
animals  is  the  first  condition  to  national  prosperity.  Hence  it  is 
becoming  of  especial  importance  that  the  training  of  students 
should  be  so  carried  on,  as  not  only  to  fit  them  mentally  for 
the  struggle  before  them,  but  also  to  make  them  physically 
fit  to  bear  its  excessive  wear  and  tear.  Surely  none  needs 
telling  that  a  good  digestion,  a  bounding  pulse,  and  high 
spirits  are  elements  of  happiness  which  no  external  advan- 
tages can  outbalance.  Chronic  bodily  disorder  casts  a 
gloom  over  the  brightest  prospects  ;  while  the  vivacity  of 
strong  health  gilds  even  misfortune." 

What  Spencer  has  said  will  apply  especially  to  him  who 
would  possess  that  most  wonderful  of  instruments,  a  good 
voice,  for  we  must  conclude  that  judicious  exercise  is 
necessary  to  vocal  power,  because  health  gives  vocal 
power  and  exercise  is  necessary  to  health. 


CHAPTER   III.— RESPIRATION. 

Respiration  is  the  process  of  drawing  in  and  expelling  the 
air,  primarily  to  sustain  life  and  incidentally  for  the  purpose 
of  speech.  In  impassioned  utterance,  and  indeed,  in  all 
animated  discourse,  there  is  more  breath  used  than  is  nec- 
essary to  sustain  life  in  repose. 

There  are  two  acts  that  constitute  respiration,  (i)  Inspi- 
ration and  (2)  Expiration. 

SECTION   L— INSPIRATION   AND   EXPIRATION. 

I.  Inspiration  is  an  active  process.  The  lungs  par- 
tially distended,  and  situated,  as  they  are,  in  an  air-tight 
chest,  are  very  elastic  ;  equally  so  whether  expanded  or 
contracted  beyond  their  normal  position.  It  requires  as 
much  effort  to  expel,  as  to  inhale,  more  than  the  usual 
amount  of  air. 


28 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


In  a  full  inspiration  the  physiological  process  of  the  res- 
piratory organs  is  as  follows  :  — 

(1)  The  diaphragm  contracts  and  therefore  sinks. 

(2)  The  front  wall  of  the  abdomen  pushes  forward. 
These  two  acts,  the  second  the  result  of  the  first,  lower 

the  floor  of  the  chest  and  prolong  its  vertical  diameter. 


Fig".  9.  —  Sections  of  the  body,  showing  A,  Inspiration  ;  B,  Expiration  ;  i.  Trachea; 
2.  Sternum  ;  3.  Diaphragm  ;  4.  Abdominal  walls. 


(3)  The  ribs  and  sternum  move  outward  and  upward  by 
the  action  of  the  outer  intercostal  muscles.     This  enlarges 
the  chest  laterally. 

(4)  The  upper  part  of  the  chest  is  expanded  laterally  and 
vertically  by  the  action  of  the  upper  intercostal  and  pectoral 
muscles. 

As  these  acts  of  inspiration  progress,  the  air  rushes  in  to 
equalize  the  pressure  and  expand  the  lungs  against  the 
retreating  walls  of  the  chest.  (Fig.  9,  A.) 

II.  Expiration  is  either  active  or  passive.  It  is  active 
when  the  expiratory  muscles  contract  so  quickly  as  to 


METHODS    OF    BREATHING.  29 

outrun,  as  it  were,  the  elastic  relaxation  of  the  inspiratory 
muscles.  The  expiratory  muscles  are  brought  into  more 
intense  action  in  speech  and  song  where  there  is  need 
of  positive  jets,  or  a  steady,  energetic  flow,  of  breath.  This 
form  of  expiration  brings  into  play  muscles  that  complement 
those  of  inspiration,  and  act  in  an  opposite  direction. 

The  physiological  process  of  active  expiration  may  be 
noted  briefly  as  follows  :  — 

(1)  The  diaphragm  relaxes  and  therefore  rises.     This  move- 
ment is  always  passive. 

(2)  The  front  wall  of  the  abdomen  is  suddenly  drawn  m,  the 
viscera  forced  against  the  diaphragm  and  the  latter  against 
the  lungs. 

(3)  The  ribs  and  sternum  are  drawn  down  and  in  by  the 
inner-intercostal    muscles.       This    diminishes    the    circum- 
ference of  the  lower  part  of  the  chest. 

(4)  The  upper  part  of  the  chest  is  drawn  down  and  in  by 
the  action  of  the  thoracic  and  pectoral  muscles.     (Fig.  9,  £.) 

The  expiratory  muscles  are  brought  most  strongly  into 
action  in  coughing  and  sneezing  :  less  strongly  in  sobbing 
and  sighing. 

In  passive  expiration  the  air  is  sent  forth  by  a  gentle 
action  of  the  expiratory  muscles  and  the  elastic  reaction  of 
the  inspiratory  muscles  and  tissues  of  the  lungs  themselves. 
This  is  the  form  of  expiration  used  in  ordinary  tranquil 
breathing. 

SECTION    II.  — METHODS    OF   BREATHING. 

There  are  three  methods  or  types  of  breathing  any  one 

of  which  may  be  used  principally  but  which  taken  by  itself 
must  be  considered  partial  only.  These  types  are  not 
wholly  independent,  but  ,may  overlap  or  extend  one  into 
another.  In  a  full  inspiration  the  three  types  are  used. 


3O  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

They  are  as  follows  :  — 

I.   CLAVICULAR  BREATHING. 

Clavicular  (collar-bone)  breathing,  although  it  is  scarcely 
ever  used  without  being  extended  into  the  costal  type,  is 
carried  on  by  lifting  and  lowering  the  collar-bone  and  the 
shoulders,  thus  expanding  and  contracting  the  chest  at  its 
smallest  part.  The  ribs  at  this  point  are  shortest,  and 
instead  of  floating  as  do  the  lower  ribs,  they  are  attached 
both  to  the  spine  and  the  breast-bone  and  cannot  by  any 
possibility  move  with  great  freedom.  This  method  is  the 
most  fatiguing  of  all  because  of  the  effort  necessary  to  lift 
the  bony  structure  of  the  trunk,  together  with  the  shoulders 
and  arms.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  in  voice  production  it  would 
be  difficult  to  sustain  this  weight  and  supply  the  air  steadily. 
It  is  sometimes  employed  in  the  representation  of  exhaustion 
or  fatigue  when  this  condition  is  to  be  personated. 

In  case  the  lower  parts  of  the  lungs  become  disabled, 
this  is  the  reserve  power  that  may  then  be  called  into 
action  ;  but  for  the  purpose  of  vocalization  in  song  or  speech 
the  results  are  far  from  satisfactory. 

It  is  our  deliberate  judgment  that  many  of  the  throat 
diseases  with  which  speakers  are  troubled  are  due  to  a  wrong 
method  of  breathing. 

II.    COSTAL  BREATHING. 

Costal  (rib)  breathing  is  produced  by  the  action  of  the 
outer  and  inner  intercostal  muscles.  In  its  most  distinct 
form  it  is  usually  accompanied  by  a  slight  action  of  the 
diaphragm.  The  ribs,  being  suspended,  are  easily  acted 
upon  by  the  muscles,  and  float  freely  outward  and  upward ; 
the  air  is  thus  caught  into  the  largest  part  of  the  chest 
without  difficulty.  This  is  a  more  desirable  method  than 
the  clavicular,  but,  for  the  purposes  of  speech,  it  does  not 


BREATHING    EXERCISES.  31 

reach  its  full  strength  until  it  is  accompanied  by  the  third 
form. 

III.   ABDOMINAL  BREATHING. 

In  this  distinctive  method  the  muscles  which  do  the  work 
are  the  diaphragm  and  the  front  wall  of  the  abdomen. 
They  act  upon  the  lungs  and  upon  each  other  alternately. 
The  deeper  the  diaphragm  sinks,  the  further  the  abdomen 
is  protruded,  the  more  the  t  lungs  are  expanded  downward, 
and  the  stronger  is  the  reaction  of  all  those  organs  in 
expiration. 

This  method  which  should  extend  into,  and  join  with, 
the  costal  method,  is  the  one  most  strongly  recommended, 
because  it  is  the  least  fatiguing.  There  is  no  waste 
energy.  The  powder  is  behind  the  ball  and  not  around  it. 
The  projectile  force  is  applied  farthest  from  the  muzzle  of 
the  gun.  Furthermore,  these  parts  are  the  most  flexible. 
They  are  suspended,  and  can  be  swung  without  being  lifted, 
and  it  follows  that  the  speaker  is  better  able  to  husband  his 
strength,  and  discourse  more  easily  to  .himself  and  with 
more  comfort  to  his  audience. 

We  quote  from  Lennox  Browne  and  Emil  Behnke  to 
sustain  our  position  :  "The  criterion  of  correct  inspiration 
is  an  increase  of  size  of  the  abdomen  and  of  the  lower 
part  of  the  chest;  whoever  draws  in  the  abdomen  and 
raises  the  upper  part  of  the  chest  breathes  wrongly." 

SECTION    HI.— BREATHING   EXERCISES. 

There  are  many  excellent  breathing  exercises  for  the 
development  of  particular  organs  or  muscles,  but  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  give  one  exercise  without  including  good  points  of 
many  others.  However,  for  the  sake  of  convenience,  we 
have  grouped  some  of  the  most  practical  of  these  as  fol- 
lows :  — 


32  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

f      ["The  Lungs. 
I.J  Bronchi. 

1.  For  Development  of  Organs,  « 

2.  Vocal  Ligaments. 

3.  Pharynx  and  Nasal  Cavities 

i.     Abdominal. 

I   2.     Diaphragmatic. 

2.  For  Development  of  Muscles,  •< 

'  3.     Costal. 

4.  Chest. 

f  i.     In  Inspiration. 

3.  For  Economy  of  Breath,     .      W 

(^  2.     In  Expiration. 

* 

I.    DEVELOPMENT  OF  ORGANS. 

i.  Exercises  for  the  Lungs,  Bronchi,  and  Trachea. 

(1)  Inhale   slowly  through  the  nose  until  the  lungs  are 
full ;  then  exhale  as  slowly  on  the  sound  of  —  h  — .     Let 
each  act  occupy  from  three  to  eight  seconds. 

(2)  Inflate  the  lungs  as  before  and  expel  all  the  breath  in 
about  one  second  with  the  whispered  sound  of  —  hah  — . 

(3)  Inhale  until  the  lungs  are  full,  close  the  glottis  and 
hold  the  breath  5 — 10 — 15   or  20  seconds  while  the  heat 
of  the  body  expands  the  air  ;    then  exhale  quickly  but  easily 
•on  the  sound  of  —  haw  — . 

(4)  Stand  erect,  fully  inflate  £he  lungs,  close  the  glottis 
and  with  a  free  action  of  the  wrists    strike  the  chest  ten 
times  with  the  points  of  the  fingers  ;  then  exhale   with  a 
prolonged    sighing    sound.     Repeat    the    exercise,    striking 
with  the  palms  and  gradually  increasing  the  force  of  the 
strokes. 

(5)  Inhale  and  retain  the  breath  while  striking  forward 
vigorously  with  the  fist  as  follows  :  —  right  arm  four  times, 
left   arm   four   times,  alternately  four   times,    and  simulta- 
neously four  times  ;  exhale  quietly. 


BREATHING    EXERCISES.  33 

(6)  Place  the  arms  akimbo,  inhale  and  sustain  the  breath 
while  bending  the  body  to  the  right  four  times,  to  the  left 
four  times,  then  alternately  four  times;    exhale.       In   like 
manner,    bend    forward  four    times,  backward  four   times ; 
then  alternately  four  times. 

(7)  Inhale  a  moderate  breath,  close    the   glottis  by  the 
contracting  action  of   the  superior  (false)  vocal  ligaments, 
project  the  breath  for  a  moment,  and  then  relax  the  liga- 
ments, throwing  open  the  glottis  during  the  full  exhalation. 

(8)  Inhale  slowly  to  the  full  capacity  of  the  lungs,  open 
wide  the  mouth  and  larynx  and  expel  the  breath  all  at  once. 
Relieve  any  unpleasant  effects  of  this  exercise  by  giving 
some  of  the  tonic  sounds  vocally  several  times. 

In  none  of  the  above  exercises  should  the  student  prac- 
tice to  the  point  of  dizziness.  The  time  given  to  each 
exercise  must  be  regulated  by  the  strength  of  the  student. 

2.  Exercises  for  the  Vocal  Ligaments. 

(1)  "  Take  the  breath  through  the  nostrils,  retain  the  air  a 
little  while,  put  the  lips  in  a  smiling  position  and  exhale  the 
air  as  slowly  as  possible,  producing  with  the  vocal  ligaments 
the  sharpest  possible   whisper   of   the   vowel  —  a  —  (as  in 
day)"    [From  Leo  Kofler's  "Art  of  Breathing."1]    Give  the 
same  with  —  a  —  (as  in  arm)  and  —  e —  (as  in  me). 

(2)  Repeat  the  above  exercise  emitting  the  stream  of  air 
in  little  jets  by  the   alternate  opening  and  closing  of  the 
glottis. 

3.  Exercises  for  the  Pharynx,  and  Nasal  Cavities. 

(i)  After  a  full  inspiration  exhale  as  slowly  as  possible 
through  the  nostrils  with  a  sharp  aspirated  sound.  The 
column  of  air  should  be  projected  through  the  pharynx  and 
into  the  nasal  cavities.  Let  the  expiration  be  from  ten  to 
thirty  seconds. 

1  E.  S.  Werner,  Publisher,  New  York. 


34  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

(2)  Repeat  the  above  exercise  dropping  the  jaw  about 
an  inch,  and  gradually  closing  the  mouth  during  the  progress 
of  the  sound  without  changing  the  direction  of  the  column 
of  air. 

II.     DEVELOPMENT  OF  MUSCLES. 

I.  Exercises  for  the  Abdominal  Muscles. 

(1)  Inhale  slowly  and  give  abdominal  impulses  in  abrupt 
partially  vocalized  coughs  of  uh. 

(2)  Vocalize   uh  five  times,  aspirate  it    five  times,  then 
vocalize   and   aspirate   it   alternately  five   times  with   short 
vigorous  abdominal  impulses  ;  relax  the  abdominal  muscles 
after  each  stroke.     Repeat  this  exercise  beginning  slowly 
and    increasing    the    movement   to    the   greatest    possible 
rapidity. 

(3)  With  a  slight  occlusive   cough  of  uh   sound .  each   of 
the  syllables   ha,  he,  hi,  ho,  hu,  hoi,  hou,  thus  uh-ha,  uh-he, 
uh-hl,  uh-ho,  uh-hu,  uh-hoi,  uh-hou. 

(4)  Close  the  lips,  take  a  full  breath  and  force  it  through 
the  nostrils  in  short,  expulsive  jets  in  rapid  succession  with 
abdominal  impulses.     This  is  the  suppressed  or  aspirated 
laugh. 

(5)  Laugh  out  each  of  the  vowels  a  —  e — i  —  o  —  u,  be- 
ginning slowly  and  accelerating  the  movement  of  abdominal 
and  glottal  strokes. 

(6)  After  a  full,  deep  inspiration  exhale  vigorously  with 
the  prolonged  sound  of  —  s  — . 

(7)  Give  abdominal  impulses  at  regular  intervals  on  the 
accented  syllables  of  any  metrical   selection  e.g.    "  Hear  the 
loud  alarum  bells:   Brazen  bells  :"  Do  the  same  at  irregular 
intervals  using  any  impassioned  prose  selection. 

(8)  "  Take  a  full  breath  correctly,  retain  it  a  few  seconds, 
press  the  lips  very  tightly  and   force  a  small   blast  of  air 
through  them  ;  retain  the  breath  again  ;  and  give   another 
expulsion  of  air  through  the  small  opening  as  before  ;  and 


BREATHING    EXERCISES.  35 

so  on  as  many  times  as  can  be  comfortably  executed  in 
one  breath."  Leo  Kofler  calls  this  "  The  healthful  lung- 
sweeper"  and  it  is  one  of  the  best  of  his  many  excellent 
breathing  exercises.  It  is  frequently  referred  to  as  a  restful 
conclusion  to  other  stronger  exercises.  It  is  also  refreshing 
after  fatigue  from  singing,  speaking,  running  or  other 
physical  exercises. 

2.  Exercises  for  the  Diaphragm. 

(1)  "Take  the  breath  through  the  smallest  possible  open- 
ing of  the  lips  very  gradually,  little  by  little,  in  one  slow, 
continuous,  thin  flow  of  air.     Retain  it  a  couple  of  seconds 
then  expel  it  all  at  once  through  the  mouth  and  immediately 
do  the  preceding  exercise  (8)  to  quiet  the  lungs."-  —  Leo 
Kofler. 

(2)  Exhale  as  much  breath  as  possible,  place  the  organs 
in  the  position  for  the  sound  of  f  and  inhale  with  vigorous 
diaphragmatic  impulses  until  the  lungs  are  filled.     Exhale 

gradually. 

3.  Exercises  for  the  Intercostal  Muscles. 

(1)  Take  a  full  breath  distending  the  ribs  laterally  as  far 
as  possible  and  then  expel  the  breath  slowly  contracting  the 
sides  as  much  as  possible.     This  movement  may  be  meas- 
ured by  passing  a  tape  line  around  the  body  over  the  float- 
ing ribs. 

(2)  Place  the  hands  on  the  ribs  close  under  the  arm-pits, 
inhale  against  the  pressure  of  the  hands,  and  force  out  the 
breath  by  a  strong  inward  pressure  of  the  hands. 

4.  Exercises  for  the  Chest  Muscles  and  Cartilages. 

(1)  Lean  a  little    forward,  extend   the    arms  above   the 
head,  take  a  full  breath,  bend  the  body  a  little  backward, 
draw  back  the  arms  until  the  hands  rest  upon  the  chest  and 
expel  the  air  between  the  compressed  lips. 

(2)  Inflate  the  lungs,  retain  the  breath  while  moving  the 
shoulders   first  forward,  then  upward,  then  backward,  and 
downward  ;    exhale. 


36  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

III.    ECONOMY  OF  BREATH. 

1.  Exercises  in  Inspiration  for  Quick  Supply  of  Breath. 

(1)  Inhale  inaudibly  through    the    mouth    as    quickly  as 
possible;  exhale  gently. 

(2)  "  Take  the  breath  as  quickly  as  possible  through  the 
nostrils  with  mouth  closed.     Do  this  several  times  in  suc- 
cession." —  Kofler. 

(3)  "  Take  breath  as  quickly  as  possible  through  the  nos- 
trils with  the  mouth  open,  but  let  no  breath  enter  through 
the  mouth."  —  Kofler. 

(4)  Count  from  one  to  ten,  inhaling  after  each  count  only 
breath  enough  for  the  utterance  of  the  next  count. 

(5)  Count  by  threes,  fives,  tens,   fifteens,   and    twenties, 
inhaling  after  each  group.     The  first  three  groups  of  this 
exercise  are  especially  recommended,  because  the  intervals 
for    breath-taking    are    about    as    they    occur  in    ordinary 
speaking. 

2.  Exercises  in  Expiration  for  Economical  Expenditure 

of  Breath. 

(1)  Inhale  to  the  full  capacity  of  the  lungs  and  count  in 
a  whisper  as  far  as  possible  in  one  breath. 

(2)  Inhale  and  read  aloud  in  one  breath  as  much  as  pos- 
sible of  the  following  sentence: 

"There  is  one  thing,  and  one  thing  only,  which  defies  all 
mutation,  —  that  which  existed  before  the  world,  and  will  survive 
the  fabric  of  the  world  itself :  I  mean  justice,  —  that  justice 
which,  emanating  from  the  Divinity,  has  a  place  in  the  breast 
of  every  one  of  us,  given  us  for  our  guide  with  regard  to  ourselves 
and  with  regard  to  others,  and  which  will  stand,  after  this  globe 
is  burned  to  ashes,  our  advocate  or  accuser  before  the  great 
Judge."  —  Burke. 

It  must  be  understood  that  the  last  two  exercises  (i  and  2) 
are  only  for  the  economical  expenditure  of  breath.  The 
habit  of  taking  short,  quick,  inaudible  inspirations  at  frequent 
rhetorical  intervals  should  be  cultivated,  as  the  lungs  should  be 


PURPOSE.  37 

Q 

supplied  in  this  way  rather  than  by  less  frequent  and  more 

copious  indraughts  of  air. 


CHAPTER   IV.  —  CULTIVATION    OF    THE   VOICE. 

As  the  instrument  must  be  put  in  tune  before  the 
musician,  however  skillful,  can  make  it  give  forth  "  excellent 
music,"  so  the  human  voice,  that  most  wonderful  of  instru- 
ments, must  be  attuned  to  the  will  of  the  speaker  or  singer 
that  it  may  respond  to  every  shade  of  emotion.  A  good 
musician  cannot  make  good  music  with  a  poor  instrument, 
neither  can  a  learned  speaker  reach  the  best  effects  through 
the  medium  of  a  poor  voice.  On  the  other  hand  an 
unskillful  musician  cannot  make  good  music  even  with  the 
violin  of  a  Paginini  or  the  piano  of  a  Rubinstein  ;  so  nature 
may  have  given  the  speaker  a  remarkably  good  voice,  which 
he  may  not  have  injured  by  misuse,  but  he  may  not  have 
the  skill  to  use  it  to  the  best  advantage.  We  must  practice 
Vocal  Culture  to  correct  imperfections,  to  develop  that  which 
is  good  in  the  voice,  and  to  acqtiire  skill  in  the  right  use 
of  it. 

Voice  production  is  a  very  delicate,  but  no  less  positive, 
physical  exercise  depending  upon  the  action  of  the  vocal  and 
respiratory  muscles.  These  muscles  are  subject  to  the  will, 
and  are  as  capable  of  development  by  systematic  and  correct 
exercise  as  any  other  muscles  of  the  body.  Then  we  must 
be  guided  by  the  same  laws  in  Vocal  Culture  that  we  have 
long  since  recognized  and  followed  in  Physical  Culture. 

SECTION   I.  — PURPOSE. 

The  purpose  of  Vocal  Culture  is  to  .develop  Purity, 
Strength,  Compass,  Flexibility,  and  Sustaining  Power.  A 
voice  well  developed  and  cultivated  in  these  five  directions 
is  capable  of  responding  to  every  requirement  in  expression. 


38  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

I.  PURITY  :      Purity  and  richness  of  tone  depend  upon  the 
economy  of  breath,  the  free  vibration  of  the  vocal  cords,  and  the 
healthful  ness  and  freedom  of  the  resonant  cavities.     We  should 
speak  with  the  expenditure  of  as  little  unvocalized  breath  as 
possible.     Frequently  the  resonant  cavities  become  clogged 
by  disease  or  diminished  by  disuse  :  any  practice  that  will 
clear  and  enlarge  these  cavities  will  give  clearness  of  re- 
flection.    A  pure  quality  of  voice  is  not  only  agreeable  to 
the  ear  of  the  listener,  but  it  enables  the  speaker  to  be 
heard  in  a  large  room  without  much  expenditure  of  power, 

II.  STRENGTH  :    Strength  of  voice  depends  upon  the  breadth 
of  vibrations  and  the  power  of  projection.     With  purity  of  tone 
there  must  be  sufficient  power  or  force  with  which  the  tones 
may  be  sent  forth,  and  strength  of  the  vibrative  function  to 
sustain  whatever  degree  of  propelling  power  the  occasion 
may  require. 

III.  COMPASS  :    Compass  or  range  of  voice  is  dependent  upon 
the  elasticity  of  the  vocal  ligaments  and  the  expanding  and  con- 
tracting power  of  the  resonant  cavities. 

IV.  FLEXIBILITY  :  Associated  with  Compass  and  depend- 
ent upon  the  same  conditions  is  the  power  to  vary  or  inflect 
the  voice  so  as  to  utilize  this  range  and  give  variety  and  beauty 
to  speech. 

V.  SUSTAINING  POWER  :    This   important  requisite   of  a 
good  voice  enables  one  to  continue  and,  it  may  be,  attenuate  a 
tone  until  its  full  value  is  brought  out,  and  also  to  sustain 
whatever  vigor  and  strength  the  expression   may  demand. 
Sustaining    Power  depends  upon  the   correct    management 
of  the  breath,  and  the  strength  and  right  use  of  the  vocal 
muscles. 

SECTION  II.  — GENERAL   SUGGESTIONS. 

A  good  method  of  voice  production  is  of  first  importance : 

this  acquired,  all  other  things  being  equal,  a  good  voice  and 
the  easy  use  of  it  will  be  the  inevitable  result. 


GENERAL    SUGGESTIONS.  39 

All  Vocal  Culture  depends  primarily  upon  correct 
breathing.  If  the  breathing  is  correct  any  vocalization 
may  be  a  voice  culture  ;  if  it  is  wrong,  the  use  of  the  voice 
to  any  extent  is  an  injury.  Let  us  remember  that  the 
human  voice  is  like  a  plant ;  we  must  cultivate  it  and  let 
it  grow.  Too  much  cultivation  will  injure  a  plant.  It  must 
have  time  to  grow.  So  with  the  voice  ;  too  much  exercise, 
ei'en  by  correct  methods,  without  time  for  rest  and  growth  is  an 
injury  rather  than  a  help.  We  quote  from  the  fly-leaf  of  an 
author's  presentation  of  "  How  to  Get  Strong,  and  How  to  , 
Stay  So,"  by  William  Blaikie,  the  lawyer-athlete  of  New  | 
York  :  "  Exercise  daily  and  vigorously,  but  never  violent- 
ly, and  always  stop  when  you  are  tired."  This  is  as 
applicable  to  Vocal  Culture  as  to  any  other  muscle  culture. 
Fatigue  implies  destruction  of  life  :  stop  and  rest,  or  change 
the  exercise  whenever  the  vocal  muscles  are  tired. 

Touch  the  extremes  of  high,  low,  loud  or  harsh  but 
seldom  ;  cultivate  these  rather  by  practice  on  the  lesser 
degrees  that  lie  next  to  them.  Never  strain  to  reach  a 
degree  of  intensity  beyond  your  vocal  strength.  A  strong 
voice  is  simply  an  evidence  of  the  strength  of  the  voice-pro- 
ducing power. 

There  is  a  feature  of  vocal  exercise  too  often  overlooked 
by  both  teacher  and  student  which  we  may  term  Mento- Vocal 
Culture ;  this  consists  in  giving  each  exercise  under  the 
mentaj  condition  implied  by  the  sounds  and  words  used. 
The  exercises  herein  prescribed  are  made  up  of  the  elements 
of  vocal  expression^  It  will  be  seen  in  subsequent  chapters 
that  the  various  degrees,  shadings  and  combinations  of  these 
elements  are  expressive  of  corresponding  degrees,  shadings 
and  combinations  of  sentiments  and  emotions.  3*he  brain 
controls  the  vital  functions  of  all  the  muscles  of  the  body ; 
then  we  should  think  the  thought  and  feel  the  emotion  em- 
bodied in  the  elements  of  any  given  vocal  exercise ;  at  the  same 
time  use  a  controlling  will-power  in  the  right  use  of  the  muscles 


4O  PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 

involved,  and  correct  voice  production  will  soon  become 
habitual.  This  habit,  once  gained,  is  easily  retained  by 
practice,  and  with  practice  one  may  acquire  a  capital  of 
vocal  vitality  the  interest  of  which  will  be  sufficient  for  any 
speech  he  may  be  called  upon  to  make.  A  speaker  who 
produces  tones  wrongly,  or  fails  to  replenish  his  vocal  powers, 
draws  upon  his  stock  of  vitality  each  time  he  speaks,  a?id  his 
ultimate  breaking  down  is  only  a  question  of  time.  It  is  a 
principle  of  Political  Economy  no  less  true  of  Vocal  Economy, 
that  it  is  better  to  make  capital  produce  one  s  living  than  to 
consume  capital  for  the  necessities  or  luxuries  of  life. 

SECTION    III.  — VOCAL  EXERCISES. 

Particular  exercises  in  the  five  principal  directions  in 
which  the  human  voice  may  be  cultivated  as  explained  in 
Section  I,  will  be  given  in  succeeding  chapters  when  the 
Elements  involved  are  considered.  But  as  a  preparatory 
drill  for  evenness  of  vibration  of  vocal  cords,  the  develop- 
ment of  vocal  cavities,  the  cultivation  of  reinforcing  vibra- 
tions, and  the  economy  of  breath,  we  here  give  some  exer- 
cises in  the  phonetic  sounds. 

In  the  following  exercises  the  student  should  observe  this 
order:  name  the  letter,  give  the  phonetic  sound  of  that 
letter,  and  pronounce  the  illustrative  word;  then  with  vigor- 
ous abdominal  impulses  give  the  phonetic  sound  five  times 
the  last  time  repeating  the  illustrative  word  e.g.  a —  a-i-0rw  / 
a  —  a  —  a  —  a  —  arm.  g  —  g — gun;  g —  g  —  g  —  g — gun. 
c —  k — can;  c —  C  —  C  —  C  —  can.  Then  give  the  three 
sounds  in  each  line  below  in  sets  five  times  each,  e.g.,  oi  — 
i — ou;  or  b  —  d — g. 

I.   FOR  EVENNESS  OF  VIBRATION  OF  VOCAL  CORDS  : 

Tonics      e  as  in    me,     a  as  in  ale,     a  as  in    air 

or  vowels    a  " '"    arm,     a  "   "    all,     o  "   "     old 

(p.  44).    e   "- "    eve,     o  "   "     do,     a  "   "    arm 


VOCAL    EXERCISES.  4! 

i  as  in  ill,  e  as  in  end,  a  as  in  at ; 
u  "  "  use,  u  "  "  pull,  o  "  "  son ; 
oi  "  "  oil,  i  "  "  isle,  ow  "  "  owl. 

II.  FOR  ENLARGEMENT  OF  THE  TRACHEA,  LARYNX 

AND  PHARYNX : 

Subtonics 

b  as  in  bob,  d  as  in  did,  g  as  m  go. 

(p.  44). 

Force  the  air  strongly  into  these  cavities  making  an 
audible  vibration  of  the  vocal  cords  while  the  cavities  are 
filling. 

III.  FOR  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  NASAL  CAVITIES  : 
Subtonics.     m  as  in  mum,  n  as  in  no,  ng  as  in  sing. 

This  exercise  may  be  further  intensified  by  pressing  the 
nose  between  the  thumb  and  finger  and  closing  the  nostrils 
while  giving  the  phonetic  sounds. 

IV.    FOR  RE-!NFORCING  VIBRATIONS  : 

Subtonics.     v  as  in  vivid,    z  as  in  zone,    zh  as  in  azure ; 

w   "   "    wild,  y   "   "    yet,   th   "   "     then; 

j   "   "  judge,    1   "   "    lull,     r   "   "      roar. 

V.    FOR  ECONOMY  OF  BREATH  : 

Atonies     k  as  in  kick,     h  as  in        has,     f  as  in       fife ; 

(p.  44).     p   "   "  pope,     t  "   "         tut,    s  "   "    sauce ; 

th   "   "   thin,   ch   "   "  church,  sh   "   "     shun. 

As  there  is  no  vibration  of  the  vocal  cords  and  a  con- 
sequent opening  of  the  cavities  of  the  larynx  in  the  utter- 
ance of  the  atonies,  the  tendency  is  to  allow  too  much  air 
to  escape  in  the  attempt  to  make  these  sounds  audible. 
This  exhausts  the  breath,  and  generally  produces  hoarse- 
ness. The  student  should  practice  these  sounds  with  all 
possible-  economy  of  breath. 


42  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


CHAPTER   V.  —  PRONUNCIATION. 

Pronunciation  is  the  utterance  in  a  single  impulse  of  the 
elements  that  constitute  a  word ;  it  is  the  process  of  trip- 
ping easily  from  one  sound  to  another  until  the  combination 
of  letters  becomes  a  complete  whole. 

I.    IMPORTANCE  OF  GOOD  PRONUNCIATION. 

Of  the  importance  of  good  pronunciation  little  need  be 
said.  Every  one  has  felt  how  much  more  agreeable  it  is  to 
listen  to  one  who  speaks  distinctly  than  to  listen  to  one 
who  mumbles.  There  is  a  physical  advantage  in  good 
enunciation  because  it  requires  more  breath  to  mumble 
than  to  speak  distinctly,  and  a  waste  of  breath  is  a  waste  of 
vitality.  In  distinct  pronunciation  the  organs  of  articulation 
are  held  firmly  together  until  each  element  has  had  its  due 
time,  then  they  are  quickly  changed  into  position  for  the 
next  element.  In  mumbling  the  elements  are  allowed  to 
slip  out  carelessly  and  breath  is  wasted  at  the  joints  or 
articulations  of  sound. 

II.   ADVANTAGE  TO  THE  LISTENER. 

Then  there  is  an  advantage  both  physical  and  mental  to 
the  listener.  If  the  utterance  be  indistinct  he  must  strain 
his  attention  simply  to  understand  the  words,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  nervous  energy  necessary  in  considering  the  theme 
presented.  The  brain  should  be  relieved  of  the  former  task 
by  distinctness  of  utterance,  and  be  left  free  to  devote  itself 
to  the  thought.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  an  audience  after  a 
time  will  grow  weary  of  this  strain  of  attention  and  become 
listless  and  restless.  This  of  course  acts  unfavorably  upon 
the  speaker  and  cannot  but  prove  dispiriting  to  him.  What 
is  true  of  the  public  or  professional  man  is  equally  true  of 


ENGLISH    SOUNDS.  43 

the  conversationist  or  the  man  of  business.  Good  pronun- 
ciation, wherever  found,  in  whatever  vocation,  is  prima  facie 
evidence  of  culture  and  refinement. 

Incorrect  pronunciation  is  largely  the  result  of  improper 
home  training.  The  child  of  educated  parentage  has  less 
to  unlearn  in  spoken  English  when  he  comes  into  the 
schools  than  the  child  of  the  illiterate.  Both  are  natural  in 
their  pronunciation,  but  the  one  is  refined  and  the  other 
crude.  To  pronounce  well  one  must  hear  good  pronunciation. 
It  must  become  a  habit,  a  second  nature,  and  so  easy  as  to  avoid 
the  suspicion  that  any  particular  attention  is  being  paid  to  it. 

People  of  the  highest  social  and  intellectual  culture 
establish  usage,  which  in  turn  establishes  pronunciation. 
A  standard  dictionary  is  but  the  record  of  that  usage,  and 
the  pronunciation  of  the  masses  should  accord  therewith. 

SECTION  I.  — ENGLISH  SOUNDS. 

Richard  Grant  White  says,  with  reference  to  the  origin  of 
articulate  speech,  that  "  man  first  uttered  formless  vowel 
sounds,  as  now  in  early  infancy  and  idiocy,  that  prolonged 
infancy  of  the  mind,  he  utters  only  such  sounds.  Those 
vowel  sounds  were  in  the  course  of  time  interrupted,  modi- 
fied, and  supported  by  consonants,  without  which  vowels 
cannot  be  put  to  much  intelligent  use.  Vocal  utterance  thus 
made  articulate,  had  of  course  differences  ;  and  those  differ- 
ences came  naturally  and  inevitably  to  be  associated  with 
things,  with  feelings  and  with  thoughts." 

Each  vowel  utterance,  when  unaccompanied  by  one  or 
more  consonants,  is  an  unbroken  stream  from  beginning  to 
end  and  may  be  illustrated  as  follows  :  — 


D   (  )  ( 


44  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

\Yhen  uttered  as  above  they  convey  no  particular  intelli- 
gence, but  when  they  are  linked  together  by  consonants,  and 
the  stream  of  vowel  tone  is  interrupted  at  intervals  we  have 
articulate  speech  thus  :  — 


3 

(                                     I 

i                         i 

e             Y             e             r 

(                              1                             X 

X                                 ) 

These  sections  and  joints  of  speech  are  called  phonetic 
elements.  The  number  of  these  distinct  elements  has  been 
variously  estimated  at  from  forty  to  forty-seven.  The  more 
minutely  they  are  analyzed  the  more  numerous  they  will 
appear,  but  for  all  practical  purposes  the  number  may  be 
placed  at  forty-three. 

The  elements  of  the  language  as  to  their  phonetic  sound 
are  divided  into  three  classes  :  Tonic,  Subtonic,  and  Atonic. 

I.   Toxics. 

The  Tonics  are  clear,  open,  unobstructed  tones.  All 
vowels  and  diphthongs  belong  to  this  class,  e.  g.,  a,  e,  0, 
ae,  oi,  etc. 

II.     SUBTOXICS. 

The  Subtonics  are  undertones  or  modified  tones.  The 
voice  instead  of  being  allowed  to  pass  freely  through  an 
open  mouth  as  in  the  tonics,  is  modified  by  the  articulating 
organs.  All  consonants  that  have  tone  are  subtonic.  e.  g., 
b,  1,  m,  ng,  th  (then),  etc. 

III.   ATOXICS. 

The  Atonies  are  sounds  without  tone  ;  breathings  inter- 
rupted or  modified  by  the  articulating  organs. 

The  vocal  cords  are  active  in  the  production  of  tonics 
and  subtonics  but  are  separated  and  passive  in  the  pro- 
duction of  atonies,  e.  g.,  f ,  h,  k,  s,  sh,  etc. 

It  is  believed  that  all  purely  English  sounds  are  repre- 
sented in  the  appended  table  :  — 


ENGLISH    SOUNDS. 


45 


IV.   TABLE  OF  ENGLISH  SOUNDS. 


TONICS. 

SUBTONICS. 

ATONICS. 

a  as  in 

ale. 

b     as  in 

bob. 

f     as  in 

fife. 

a    " 

arm. 

a 

did. 

h      " 

has. 

a    " 

all. 

g 

gag- 

k      " 

kick. 

a    " 

air. 

i 

judge. 

P      " 

pope. 

a    " 

ask. 

i 

lull. 

s 

sauce. 

a    " 

at. 

m       " 

mum. 

t 

tut. 

e    " 

eve. 

n 

nun. 

sh     " 

shun. 

e    " 

end. 

r        " 

roar. 

ch     « 

church. 

v        " 

vivid. 

th    " 

thin. 

6      " 

err. 

WH 

.,  . 

wh  " 

iv  hen. 

1       " 

1       " 

isle. 

ill. 

y     " 

IVZlCl. 

yet. 

z        " 

zone. 

6     " 

old. 

ng     " 

sing. 

» 

o    " 

do. 

tt*      " 

then. 

o    " 

son. 

z(zh)  " 

azure. 

u    " 

use. 

u     " 

pull. 

oi   " 

oil. 

ou  " 

owl. 

It  will  be  observed  that  we  have  used  only  such  diacriti- 
cal marks  as  are  common  to  Webster  and  Worcester,  since 
lexicographers  have  not  agreed  upon  a  common  system. 
They  are  the  macron  (-),  used  to  indicate  the  long  sounds 
of  the  vowels  as  a,  e,  i,  6,  u,  and  the  hard  sound  of  g 
(gun);  the  breve  (~)  to  indicate  the  short  vowels  a,  £,  i,  6,  ii ; 
the  diaeresis  (••)  to  indicate  the  Italian  a,  thus  a  \  the  semi- 
diaeresis  (•)  to  indicate  the  soft  sound  of  g  (gem);  the  hori- 
zontal bar  to  indicate  the  k-sound  of  C,  thus  -C,  and  the 
subtonic  th  thus  tfe. 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


SECTION  II.  — INTRINSIC  TIME-VALUE  OF  SOUNDS. 

The  elements  of  the  language  as  to  their  intrinsic  time 
value  are  either  stopt  or  continuant. 

Stopt  sounds  are  such  as  cannot  be  held  profitably  to  any 
considerable  extent.  Examples  k,  p,  t,  S,  etc. 

Continuant  sounds  are  such  as  can  be  prolonged  to  ad- 
vantage. Examples  1,  m,  r,  v,  etc. 

I.    TABLE  OF  ENGLISH  QUANTITIES. 


STOPT  SOUNDS. 

CONTINUANT  SOUNDS. 

VOWELS. 

CONSONANTS. 

VOWELS. 

CONSONANTS. 

a  as  in  at. 

b  as  in  bob. 

a  as  in  ale. 

1      as  in  /////. 

a       "      ask. 

d      "  -  did. 

a       "      arm. 

m       "     me. 

e       "      met. 
i       "      it. 

0        "       son. 

g      "     gag- 
f       •«     fife. 
h      "      hat. 

a       "      all. 
a       "      air. 
e       "     eve. 

n        "      ;/;///. 
r         "      roe. 
v         "     vie. 

U       "      put. 

j       "     fig- 
k     "      kick. 
p      «     pop. 
s       "      sat. 

e       "      err. 
i       "      isle. 
0       "      old. 
00      "      ooze. 

w        "      ze>^. 
y         "     yet. 
Z         "      zone. 
th      "     //i^w: 

t       "      tat. 
th     "      //////. 

u       "      use. 
Oi      "      oil. 

ng      "      sing. 
zh      "      azure. 

ch     "       chat. 

Oil     "      owr. 

sh     "       shun. 

wh   "      when. 

The  requisites  of  correct  pronunciation  are  four  :— 

1.  Clear  articulation. 

2.  Correct  quality  of  vowel  sound. 

3.  Correct  syllabication. 

4.  Proper  accent. 


ARTICULATION.  47 

As  there  is  no  firm  contact  of  the  organs  of  speech  in 
vowel  sound  the  term  articulation  will  be  used  chiefly  with 
reference  to  the  execution  of  consonants. 

SECTION    III.  — ARTICULATION. 

Articulation  as  the  word  indicates  is  a  jointing  or  linking 
together  of  the  elements  of  a  word. 

An  accurate  and  distinct  articulation  is  the  basis  of  good 
delivery.  Dr.  Gilbert  Austin  says  that  "in  just  articulation 
the  words  are  not  hurried  over,  nor  precipitated  syllable  over 
syllable  ;  nor,  as  it  were,  melted  together  into  a  mass  of 
confusion  ;  they  are  neither  abridged  nor  prolonged  ;  nor 
swallowed,  nor  forced,  and,  if  I  may  so  express  myself,  shot 
from  the  mouth  ;  they  are  not  trailed  nor  drawled,  nor  let 
slip  out  carelessly,  so  as  to  drop  unfinished.  They  are 
delivered  out  from  the  lips,  as  beautiful  coins  newly  issued 
from  the  mint,  deeply  and  accurately  impressed,  perfectly  finished" 

One  may  acquire  ease  and  fluency  of  articulation  by 
practice  upon  the  elements  singly  and  in  combination. 
Each  element  requires  a  certain  definite  position  which  may 
be  learned  and  practiced,  and  there  is  no  English  element 
that  is  not  pleasant  to  the  ear  when  properly  sounded. 

I.    ORAL  POSITION  OF  CONSONANTS. 

When  we  examine  consonants  as  to  their  position  in 
the  organs  of  articulation,  we  find  three  distinct  classes  : 
(i)  Labials,  (2)  Linguals,  and  (3)  Palatals. 

In  the  production  of  Labials  the  lips  are  the  flexible 
parts,  in  the  Linguals  the  tongue  is  the  flexible  part,  and  in 
the  Palatals  the  palate.  The  term  "  Dental "  is  not  used  in 
this  connection  for  the  reason  that  in  opening  and  closing 
only,  the  teeth  cannot  be  said  to  be  flexible,  although  they 
have  much  to  do  in  regulating  the  shape  of  tones.  The 
letters  which  employ  the  lips  and  teeth  we  here  designate 


48 


PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 


labials,  those  that  employ  the  tongue  and  teeth,  linguals, 
and  those  that  employ  the  back  of  the  tongue  and  palate, 
palatals,  on  account  of  the  location  of  the  sounds. 

i.    Table  of  Consonants. 


LABIALS. 

LINGUALS. 

PALATALS. 

b     as  in  bob. 

d 

as  in  did. 

g    as  in  £•#£•. 

f         «    fife. 

j 

"    judge. 

h        "     hat. 

m       "     mum. 

1 

"     lull. 

k        "     &V£. 

p        "     pipe. 

n 

"      nun. 

y        "     yet. 

V        "      vivid. 

r 

"      roar. 

ng     "     ««$f. 

W       "      weal. 

s 

"     sauce. 

wh     "      "when. 

t 

"      tut. 

z 

"      zone. 

th 

"      then. 

th 

"      /#/';/. 

ch 

"      church. 

sh 

"      J^w«. 

zh 

"     azure. 

In  order  that  the  student  may  acquire  strength  and  def- 
initeness  of  articulation  it  may  be  necessary  in  some  cases 
to  study  in  detail  the  position  required  for  each  consonant. 

The  Vocule  in  articulation  is  a  faint  sound  heard  on 
separating  the  organs  in  certain  abrupt  elements  as  b,  d,  k,  t, 
etc.  Making  the  vocule  too  distinct  or  separating  it  too  far 
from  adjoining  elements  is  one  of  the  worst  of  affectations. 

1 1.   COGNATES. 

Cognates  are  letters  that  have  the  same  position  of  the 
organs  but  different  sounds  ;  as  the  word  indicates  they 
originate  together,  i.  e.  in  the  same  position  of  the  organs. 

There  are  three  classes  :  (i)  Labial  Cognates,  (2)  Lingual 
Cognates,  and  (3)  Palatal  Cognates. 


ARTICULATION. 
Table  of  Cognates. 


49 


LABIAL   COGNATES. 

LINGUAL  COGNATES. 

PALATAL   COGNATES. 

SUBTONIC.                       ATONIC. 

SUBTONIC.                      ATONIC. 

SUBTONIC.                       ATONIC. 

b  (bob),  m  (mum)  ;  p  (pipe). 
V  (vivid)  ;  and  f  (fife). 
W  (weal)  ;  and  wh.  (which) 

d  (did),  and  n  (no)  ;  t  (tat). 
j  (Judge)  ;  and  ch.  (church). 
Z  (zone)  ;  and  S  (sauce). 
th.  (*A«*)  ;  and  til  (thin). 
Zh.  (seizure)  ;  and  sh.  (show). 

g  (£•'£•),  US  (««#•)  ;  k  (£zbfc). 
y  (yet)  ;  and  h.  (hat). 

(i)  Repetition  of  Sounds  and  Conjunction  of  Cognates. 

Much  of  the  stilted  reading  that  is  common  to  the  schools 
and  the  disjointed  utterance  of  many  speakers,  in  their 
efforts  to  be  exact  or  nice,  comes  of  the  bad  management 
of  cognates  in  conjunction.  Barring  rhetorical  pauses  of 
unusual  length,  and  emphasis  which  must  always  be  taken 
into  account,  this  law  should  be  observed  :  When  a  word 
ends  with  a  sound  with  which  the  next  word  begins,  or  if 
the  sounds  be  cognates,  one  position  of  the  organs  will  do 
for  both. 

(2)  Illustrations. 

1.  The   rub^begins. 

2.  He  was   a   calm^man. 

3.  Let   them   not   revive    vandalism. 

4.  He   had    his   fife   fixed. 

5.  He   was   kind   and^dear. 

6.  None   knew    a    lovelier  boy. 

7.  Tell   him    not_to    do   so. 

8.  The   judge   joined   us. 

9.  She    stood   in   the  church^chancel. 

10.  The   thermometer^registers^zero. 

11.  It   was    all    for   the    truth's^sake. 

12.  They   are    all   with^thee. 

13.  Return    to    thy    dwelling   alLJonely   return. 


50  PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 

The  same  position  of  the  organs  is  held  through  both 
sounds,  the  distinction  between  them  being  made  by  lighten- 
ing the  sound  at  the  junction  or  by  making  a  slight  hiatus 
without  replacing  the  organs.  In  blending  the  two  words 
"all  lonely"  in  the  last  exercise  the  sounds  of  the  two  Fs 
may  be  represented  thus  ;  l-OO-l  ;  The  stream  of  tone 
instead  of  being  broken  is  continued,  swelling  out  on  the 
separate  elements. 

In  the  conjunction  of  cognates  in  the  following  sentences 
the  position  of  the  outer  articulating  organs  remains  the 
same  in  each  case  and  to  the  eye  there  is  no  change  but  the 
sound  is  different. 

1.  They   sought   to   rob^men. 

2.  They   overstep^modesty. 

3.  Why    should    he    leap^boundaries. 

4.  Live   for    others. 

5.  They   hovered_near. 

6.  We   want^none    of   it. 

7.  It   was    I    that^denied  thee  gold. 

8.  They   had   their   judge   chosen. 

9.  It   was   soon^done. 

i  o.     What^did    they    do    with^things  ? 

11.  It   was   a   long^course. 

12.  The   men   worked    at   logc^cutting. 

In  the  fifth  sentence  the  words  "hovered  near"  may  be 
joined  and  yet  made  distinct.  Sound  d  without  giving  its 
vocule,  then,  holding  the  tongue  in  the  same  position,  turn 
the  stream  of  tone  through  the  nostrils  by  a  slight  action  of 
the  palate  and  we  have  the  letter  ;/.  It  is  often  necessary 
to  make  an  inter-sound  or  an  inter-syllabic  pause  or  break 
for  articulative  enforcement  of  an  idea,  in  order  that  the 
organs  may  have  time  to  take  a  new  position. 


ARTICULATION. 


III.    EXERCISES  IN  ARTICULATION. 

Exercises  in  articulation  are  to  the  organs  of  articulation 
what  physical  exercises  are  to  the  muscles  of  the  body,  they  give 
strength  for  use  in  case  of  need.  Let  the  student  practice  the 
following  exercises  for  strength  and  flexibility  of  the  organs 
and  observe  this  supreme  law  of  articulation,  that  strength  oj 
contact  and  quickness  of  release  of  the  organs  are  necessary  con- 
ditions of  success. 

I.   Combination  of  Tonics  with  Sub  tonics  and  Atonies. 


SUBTONICS 

AND  TONICS. 

ATONICS 

AND  TONICS. 

b     with     a 

zh  with 

a 

k 

with     a 

d       "       e 

w      " 

e 

f 

"       e 

g       "       i 
m      "       o 

y     " 

th     " 

i 

0 

P 

t 

"       i 

0 

n       "       u 
v       "      oi 

j       " 

u 
oi 

s 
ch 

"       u 
"     oi 

z       "     ou 

v      " 

ou 

sh 

"     ou 

(1)  In  the  above  table  of  exercises*  combine  each  con- 
sonant singly  with  all  the  vowels  in  the  opposite  column,  as 
ba,  be,  bi,  bo,  bu,  boi,  bou ;  da,  de,  di,  do,  etc. 

(2)  Reverse  the  order  of  exercises  combining  each  vowel 
singly  with  all   the  consonants  in  the  opposite  column,   as 
ab,  ad,  ag,  am,  an,  av,  az ;  eb,  ed,  eg,  em,  etc.,  or  ab,  eb, 
ib,  ob,  ub,  oib,  oub ;  ak,  ek,  ik,  ok,  uk,  oik,  ouk. 

(3)  Give  ee  —  00  —  ah;  and  ip,  it,  ik,  each  five  times 
and  in  sets  five  times.  —  Adapted  from  Professor  Lewis  B. 
MunroJs  "  Vocal  Gymnastics." 

(4)  In  the  same  manner  give  kiff,  kiss,  kish ;  which, 
church,  myth;  oi,  ai,  ou;  lil,  lol,  la;  par,  mar,  star; 


5-2  PRACTICAL   ELOCUTION. 

rare,  rear,  car ;  form,  from,  far ;  that  azure  vault ; 
jeer  Zeb's  wit;  yet,  you,  yawn;  la,  sea;  koo,  kah; 
and  SOO  —  e  —  i  —  0 — ah. — Adapted  from  Professor  J.  }V. 
Churchill's  Vocal  Exercises. 

2.  Initial  Combinations  of  Consonants. 

Sound  separately  and  distinctly  each  of  the  elements 
composing  the  following  initial  combinations.  In  each  case 
utter  the  combination  in  full  after  having  spelled  it  phonet- 
ically. Let  this  be  followed  by  the  pronunciation  of  the 
representative  word  containing  the  combination. 

Br,    bl,    dr,    dw  —  Ex.    brink,    black,    drench,    dwell. 

fl,    fr,.  gl,    gr — Ex.    fled,    frame,    glare,    grain. 

kl,    kr,    kw,    pr  —  Ex.    clash,    crown,    quick,    prank. 

pi,    tw,    sp,    spr  —  Ex.    plan,    tweak,    spot,    spring. 

spl,    sf,  .st,    str — Ex.    splash,    sphere,    stand,    strain. 

sn,    sm,    si,    sk  —  Ex.    snare,    smote,    slain,    sky. 

ski,    skw,    thr,    tr,    etc.  —  Ex.    sclave,    square,  thrive,  trim. 

ft 

3.   Terminal  Combinations  of  Consonants. 

In  the  same  manner  as  in  the  foregoing  exercise  practice 
the  following  terminal  combinations  :  — 

Bdst,  bldst,  rbz,  dz  —  Ex.  probdst,  troubl'dst,  curbs,  deeds, 
dst,  dths,  gld,  jd  —  Ex.  midst,  breadths,  strangled,  judged. 
flst,    fts,    fths,    sk— Ex.    raffls't,    wafts,    fifths,    mask, 
sp,    sts,    Icht,    Ibz  —  Ex.    rasp,    fists,    mulch'd,    bulbs. 
Imz,    Iks,    It,    mdst  —  Ex.    elms,    elks,    felt,    dim'dst. 
mpts,  rgz,   rvz,   rkst  —  Ex.   tempts,  burgs,   curves,   hark'st. 
rths,  zmz,  pts,  ts,  etc.  —  Ex.  births,  chasms,  crypts,  beats. 

4.  Phonetic  Spelling. 

dead  PU^P  palate  chamber         typify 

march  ring  remorse          nothing          faculties 

vaunt  hold  forget  prosper  companion 


ARTICULATION.  53 

This  list  may  be  supplemented  with  words  from  exercises 
2  and  3. 

This  is  an  exercise  of  great  utility  and  should  be  practiced 
diligently  by  the  student  who  would  remedy  his  faults  of 
articulation.  Sound-spelling  is  no  more  than  an  unduly 
deliberate  pronunciation,  in  which  only  the  elements  that 
compose  the  word  a*re  sounded.  Prof.  Mcllvaine  speaking 
on  this  point  says,  "  The  student  should  not  fail  to  exercise 
his  articulating  organs  in  the  formation  of  all  the  elementary 
sounds.  These  exercises  should  be  continued  until  the 
breathing  and  vocalizing  organs  are  brought  under  perfect 
control,  and  to  the  highest  degree  of  efficiency  and  facility, 
in  the  formation  of  every  sound." 

5.  Sentences  in  Difficult  Articulation. 

Practice  the  following  sentences  with  strict  reference  to 
articulation. 

"My  weak  words  have  struck  but  thus  much  show  of 
fire."  —  Shak. 

"  Our  yoke  and  sufferance  show  us  womanish."  —  Shak. 

"  Where  wilt  thou  find  a  cavern  dark  enough  to  mask  thy 
monstrous  visage  ?  " — Shak. 

"  O  conspiracy,  shamest  thou  to  show  thy  dangerous  brow 
by  night!"—  Shak. 

"We're  your  well  wishers." —  George  Eliot. 

"And  there's  my  gold-handled  hunting-whip." — Eliot. 

"  Some  two  months  hence  up  higher  toward  the  North  he 
first  presents  his  fire." — Shak. 

"Ghosts  did  shriek  and  squeal  about  the  streets." — Shak. 

"  Such  a  creature  is  among  the  wretchedest  sights  seen 
under  the  sun." —  Carlyle. 

"  Nature  has  proved  that  the  great  silent  Samuel  shall  not 
be  silent  too  long." —  Carlyle. 

"  Suddenly  seaward  swept  the  squall." — Whittier. 


54  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

"  She  never  gives  to  truth  and  virtue  that  which  simple- 
ness  and  merit  purchaseth." — S/ictk. 

"  The  narrow  stream  flowed  softly  by,  mirroring  clearly 
the  trees  and  sky." — Anon. 

"  When  extreme  speed  is  sought,  a  very  little  thing  makes 
an  important  difference." — Banner. 

"  He  saw  an  old  man  roll  railroad  iron." — Anon. 

11  Maybe  we  will  be  left  unmolested  until  the  harvest  is 
over. ' ' —  Helen  Hunt  Jackson. 

"Wouldst  not  play  false  and  yet  wouldst  wrongly  win." — 
Shak. 

"Rich  gifts  wax  poor  when  givers  prove  unkind." — Shak. 

"A  knavish  speech  sleeps  in  a  foolish  ear." — Shak. 

"  When  thou  wast  young  thou  girdedst  thyself  and  walkedst 
whither  thou  wouldest." — John,  xxi.  18. 

"  The  weak-eyed  bat  with  short,  shrill  shrieks  flits  by  on 
leathern  wings." — Anon. 

"I  fancy  the  first  Frenchman  fenced  furiously." — Pierce. 

"  Sweet  is  the  capture  when  the  captive  finds  the  captor 
a  captive  too." — McDowell. 

Read  in  a  whisper  the  foregoing  sentences  with  strong 
and  precise  articulation,  such  as  would  be  understood  in 
remote  parts  of  a  large  audience  room.  The  student  may 
improvise  numerous  other  exercises.  There  is  not,  however, 
so  much  virtue  in  the  multiplication,  as  in  the  systematic, 
earnest  practice,  of  a  few  leading  exercises. 

SECTION    IV.— QUALITY    OF   VOWEL   SOUND. 

By  quality  of  vowel  sound  is  meant  the  character  or 
subtle  distinction  of  tone  which  is  the  ground  work  of 
refined  pronunciation.  The  tendency  to  utter  improperly 
vowel  sound  is  the  most  fruitful  source  of  mispronunciation. 
\Yith  the  exception  of  a  modified  r  or  t,  or  possibly  one  or 
two  other  consonants,  the  English  dialects  and  provincial- 


QUALITY    OF    VOWEL    SOUND.  55 

isms  in  pronunciation  are  the  result  of  a  wrong  sounding  of 
the  tonic  elements  of  the  language. 

For  a  description  of  the  English  sounds  the  student  is 
advised  to  make  a  careful  study  of  the  introductory  pages 
of  one  of  our  standard  dictionaries  —  Worcester,  Webster, 
or  the  Century. 

I.    DEFECTS  IN  QUALITY  OF  VOWEL  SOUND. 

jr 

Let  us  examine  briefly  some  of  the  sounds  that  are  most 
frequently  abused  in  utterance. 

i.    a  is  frequently  modified  so  as  to  be  equivalent  to  short 
Italian  a,  (ask)  with  e  as  a  vanish,  e.  g  day  becomes  dae. 

Examples  for  Practice. 


day  hay  Pray  fray  grav  way 

clay  stay  they          .    may  spray  clay 

2.  Italian  a  is  often  modified  into  short  Italian  a,  (ask) 
or  short  a,  or  a  (all)  ;   and  sometimes  even  to  a  (air). 

Examples  for  Practice. 

vaunt  balm  staunch  papa 

daunt  calm  launch  calf 

gaunt  palm  haunch  laugh 

haunt  psalm  jaunt  bath 

3.  Broad  a  (a\\)  and  its  equivalent  o  (0rder)  are  very  often 
pronounced  with  the  sound  of  Italian  a  ;  on  the  other  hand 
they    are    sometimes    vulgarly    broadened.      e.   g.    thought 
becomes  thot. 

Examples  for  Practice. 

all  sought  awful  taught 

call  thought  lawful  wrought 

daughter  caught  straw  fought 


56  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

4.  Short  Italian  a  (ask),  or  more  properly  "intermediate 
a  "  differs  from  the  Italian  a  not  only  in  quantity  but  also  in 
quality.       Many  excellent  teachers  of  orthoepy  insist  that 
the  only  difference  is  in  quantity.       Such,   it   seems,  have 
misinterpreted  our  authorities.     Webster  plainly  states  that 
short   Italian  a  "in  organic  position  lies  between  short  a 
and  Italian  a  but  in  quality  as  well  as  position  more  nearly 
resembles  the  latter."      "More  nearly"  then  must  not  be 
interpreted  to  mean  "altogether."     He  further  states  that 
"the  main  part  of  the  tongue  is  raised  higher,  the  lower  jaw 
is  not  so  much  depressed,  and  the  mouth  is  not  so  widely 
open." 

We  quote  from  Worcester  :  "  The  fifth  sound  of  a  (ask) 
is  an  intermediate  sound  of  this  letter,  between  its  short 
sound,  as  \nfat,  ma?i,  and  its  Italian  sound  as  \&  far,  father" 
Now,  as  every  new  adjustment  of  the  vocal  organs  effects  a 
change  of  quality,  and  as  it  is  impossible  to  utter  these  two 
sounds  with  the  same  position  of  the  organs,  we  must 
conclude  that  their  quality  is  different. 

Examples  for  Practice. 

after  blast  chaff  rasp 

advance  brass  fast  shaft 

answer  grass  pass  staff 

ask  dance  quaff  vast 

5.  The  sound  of  a  (air)  is  often  turned  into  a  not  in- 
frequently into  a  ;  for  example  fair  becomes  fayer.     It  will" 
be  observed  that  the  teeth  are  not  so  widely  separated  as  in 
Italian  a  and  the  corners  of  the  mouth  are  drawn  farther 
back   than    in    any   other    vowel    sound.       This    makes    a 
flattened  opening  for  the  sound,  and  on  this  account  it  is 
sometimes  called  flat  a. 


QUALITY    OF    VOWEL    SOUND.  57 

Examples  for  Practice. 

air  fare  pair  spare 

care  hair  scare  square 

bare  lair  snare  stair 

6.  Short  a  is  sometimes  sounded  like  a  (air)  but  more 
frequently — especially  by  singers,  who,  no  doubt,  desire  the 
most  agreeable  quantities  —  it  is  sounded  like  one  or  the 
other  of  the  Italian  #'s.     e.  g.  man  becomes  man. 

Examples  for  Practice. 

and  stand  glad  marry 

man  span  banter  character 

band  bad  planter  parasite 

hand  mad  land  carry 

7.  Short  e  is  frequently  given  the  sound  of  short  a.    e.  g. 
well  becomes  wal  :  when,  whan. 

8.  In  regard  to  e,  /',  u,  and  y  before  r  much  has  been  said 
and  written,  and  great  effort  has  been  made  by  some  ortho- 
epists  and  teachers  of  elocution  to  induce  the  people  to  make 
distinctions  among  these  sounds,  but  it  has  been  to  little 
purpose.     The  masses,  headed  by  a  large  majority  of  the 
best  educated  portion  of  the  people,  have  persisted  in  pro- 
nouncing her,  fir,  fur,  and  myrrh,  without  any  appreciable 
distinction  in  vowel  sound  and  the  latest  editions   of  our 
standard  dictionaries  have  been  forced  to  record  it. 

Let  us  quote  from  the  latest  editions  of  three  leading 
authorities.  Worcester  says  :  "  There  is  little  or  no  differ- 
ence in  the  sounds  of  the  e,  i,  u  and  y,  when  under  this 
mark,  i.  e.,  the  diaeresis,  which  marks  these  vowels  when 
they  are  succeeded  by  r.  Webster,  while  he  advises  a 
distinction,  acknowledges  that  by  many  orthoepists  and 
"the  majority  of  English-speaking  people,  it  is  not  actually 


58  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

observed,"  and  that  those  who  employ  only  one  pronuncia- 
tion for  tilde  e,  /,  and  caret  u  do  not  always  employ  the 
same  one.  Considering  these  facts  he  reaches  the  conclu- 
sion that  "  unsettled  usage  makes  such  diversity  allowable." 
The  collaborators  of  the  Century  Dictionary  —  forty  lead- 
ing scholars  and  specialists  of  the  United  States  —  led  by 
William  Dwight  Whitney  of  Yale,  make  no  distinction  be- 
tween these  sounds.  They  have  felt  it  incumbent  on  them 
to  recognize  the  wish  of  a  large  majority  of  the  people. 
The  words  in  the  following  table  may  all  be  pronounced 
with  the  same  vowel  sound. 

Examples  for  Practice. 

her  stern  mercy  fern 

fir  sir  bird  first 

fur  urn  urge  further 

myrrh  myrtle  merge  err 

9.  Long  6  is  often  substituted  for  o   (order),  and  vice 
versa ;  e.  g.  hoarse  becomes  horse,  sword  becomes  sawrd,  or 
forty  becomes  fourty,  and  adorn  adourn. 

10.  Long  oo  and  its  equivalents  o  (do)  and  u  (rude)  are 
often  changed    to    short   oo    (foot),  sometimes  to  long  u. 
This  is  quite  general  in  parts  of  New  England. 

Examples  for  Practice. 

truth  rue  hoof  boot 

rude  fruit  roof  food 

rule  brute  soon  root 

11.  o  (son)  and  its  equivalent  short  //  are  quite  commonly 
changed  to  short  o,  not  infrequently  to  short  e ;  e.  g.  blood 
becomes  blod,  or  nearly  so  ;  done  sometimes  is  pronounced 
den. 


QUALITY    OF    VOWEL    SOUND.  59 

Examples  for  Practice. 

sun  flood  fun  drudge 

done  gun  love  judge 

blood  mother  blush  grudge 

12.  Probably  long  u  {y  and  long  oo)  is  the  worst  abused 
of  the  vowel  sounds. 

There  is  a  strong  tendency  to  omit  the  y  element  of  this 
sound  in  some  places  unfavorable  to  its  utterance.  This 
tendency  has  been  successful  in  case  of  u  following  r,  as  in 
rude,  j  as  in  June,  ch  as  in  chew,  and  sh  as  in  shude,  or  its 
equivalent  s,  as  in  sure,  the  vowel  having  a  clear  sound  of 
long  oo.  Some  recent  English  authorities  prescribe  the 
same  treatment  of  the  u  when  it  is  preceded  by  /,  but  our 
own  lexicographers  have  not  yet  accepted  this  wholesale 
change. 

The  collaborators  of  the  Century  Dictionary,  however,  ad- 
vise and  so  record  the  use  of  long  oo  where  /  is  preceded 
by  another  consonant.  This,  it  seems  to  us,  is  a  wise 
advance,  and  one  that  will  be  received  with  almost  uni- 
versal favor,  and  especially  by  those  who  have  dreaded  the 
phonetic  gymnastics  necessary  heretofore  in  pronouncing 
blue  (bl — y — oo). 

The  following  list  of  words,  according  to  the  latest,  and 
we  believe  the  best  authority,  may  be  pronounced  with  the 
sound  of  long  oo. 

Examples  for  Practice. 

clue  glue  jew  shude 

blue  plume  June  chew 

flue  plumage  jute  sure 

flute  slew  juniper  surety 

In  the  following  words,  however,  the  y  element  should 
be  retained  and  made  distinct  without  being  elaborate  or 
forced. 


60  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Examples  for  Practice. 

duty  constitution  news  neutral 

dude  institute  nude  produce 

deuce  luminary  tune  assume 

duke  lute  tumult  exhume 

II.    ALPHABETICAL  EQUIVALENTS. 

It  seems  unnecessary  to  call  attention  to  all  the 
alphabetical  equivalents  of  the  tonic  elements.  There  is 
one,  however,  that  the  orthoepists  generally  give  as  a 
separate  sound  which,  it  will  be  noticed,  does  not  appear  in 
our  table  of  the  elements.  We  refer  to  short  <?,  which,  we 
believe,  is  equivalent  to  Italian  a  in  quality.  It  must  be 
granted  that  there  is  a  difference  in  quantity  but  there  must 
be  something  more  than  this  to  differentiate  the  elements. 

If,  by  way  of  illustration,  a  piece  of  timber  after  having 
been  sent  through  a  planing  machine,  be  cut  into  different 
lengths  the  width  and  thickness  of  the  pieces  are  not 
affected.  Now  the  quality  of  a  tonic  element  depends 
upon  its  width  and  thickness,  the  length  having  nothing  to 
do  with  it,  and  when  the  organs  are  in  position  for  a  vowel 
sound  and  the  stream  of  tone  is  begun,  it  may  be  cut  off 
at  will  by  the  articulating  organs  without  having  its 
quality  changed.  In  the  sound  of  a  (what),  a  (father),  and 
o  (bother)  the  organs  sustain  identically  the  same  position 
but  the  sound  varies  in  length,  and  therefore,  we  hold,  they 
should  be  represented  by  one  element,  and  as  Italian  a  is 
the  most  natural  sound  in  any  language  and  common  to 
most  of  them,  we  have  named  that  as  the  element. 

Examples  for  Practice. 

father  quality  bother  calm 

wan  arm  what  blot 

far  daunt  smart  spark 

was  don  dart  mock 


QUALITY    OF    VOWEL    SOUND.  6 1 

The  tendency  to  pronounce  all  sounds  alike  that  have  the 
same  diacritical  mark  is  a  fruitful  source  of  mispronun- 
ciation. This  is  especially  the  case  with  short  o.  Although 
sot  and  song  have  the  same  mark  in  Webster  and  Worcester 
it  is  contrary  to  good  taste  to  pronounce  them  with  pre- 
cisely the  same  sound  of  o.  A  vowel  sound  is  lengthened 
or  shortened  by  the  consonant  that  succeeds  it.  The  ele- 
ment /  is  the  shortest  possible  English  quantity  ;  ng,  on  the 
other  hand,  is  one  of  the  longest.  The  word  sot  should  be 
pronounced  with  the  shortest  sound  of  o,  and  song  with  a 
sound  so  much  broader  as  to  become  closely  allied  to  o 
(order}.  This  intermediate  sound  is  heard  in  monosyllables 
and  accented  syllables  in  which  the  o  is  followed  by///,  ss, 
st,  th,  n,  ng,  g. 

Examples  for  Practice. 

off  cross  lost  cloth  long 

cough  loss  frost  broth  song 

loft  boss  cost  gone  dog 

soft  moss  tossed  on  log 

III.    OBSCURE  VOWELS. 

It  is  one  of  the  marked  characteristics  of  proper  spoken 
English  that  vowels  of  most  unaccented  syllables  are  passed 
over  lightly  and  quickly,  being  altered  both  in  quantity  and 
quality.  William  Dwight  Whitney  says,  "to  write  the 
vowels  of  unaccented  syllables  as  if  they  were  accented  is  a 
distortion,  and  to  pronounce  them  so  written  would  be  a 
caricature  of  English  speech."  He  says  further  in  the 
Century  Dictionary,  "there  are  two  degrees  of  this  trans- 
formation :  In  the  first  the  general  vowel  quality  of  a  long 
vowel  remains,  but  is  modified  toward  or  to  the  correspond- 
ing short.  This  first  degree  of  change  is  marked  by  a  single 
dot  under  the  vowel ;  thus,  a,  e,  o,  u,  o,  o. 


62  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

In  the  second  degree  the  vowel  loses  its  specific  quality 
altogether  and  is  reduced  to  a  neutral  sound,  the  slightly 
uttered  u  (of  hut). 

This  change  occurs  mainly  in  short  vowels,  but  also  some- 
times in  long  vowels  (especially  u  and  a). 

This  second  degree  of  alteration  is  marked  by  a  double 
dot  under  the  vowel ;  thus,  a,  e,  i,  o,  a,  u. 

Accordingly  the  dots  show  that  while  in  very  elaborate 
utterance  the  vowel  is  sounded  as  marked  without  them,  in 
the  various  degrees  of  inferior  elaborateness  it  ranges  down 
to  the  shortened  or  to  the  neutralized  vowel  respectively ; 
and  it  is  intended  that  the  dots  shall  mark,  not  a  careless 
and  idiomatic  utterance  —  not  that  of  hasty  conversation, 
but  that  of  plain  speaking,  or  of  reading  aloud  with  xlistinct- 
ness.  In  careless  talk  there  is  a  yet  wider  reduction  to  the 
neutral  sound.  It  must  be  clearly  understood  and  borne  in 
mind  that  these  changes  are  the  accompaniment  and  effect 
of  lightening  and  slighting  of  utterance  ;  to  pronounce  with 
any  stress  [weight]  the  syllables  thus  marked  would  be  just 
as  great  a  caricature  as  to  pronounce  them  with  stress  as 
marked  above  the  letter." 

Worcester  states  that  the  obscure  mark  is  regarded  in  the 
majority  of  cases  "  as  indicating  an  indistinct,  short  sound 
of  the  vowel,  but  in  many  cases  it  indicates  a  slight  or 
unaccented  long  sound." 

Examples  for  Practice. 

(1)  Words  containing  obscure  long  sounds. 

amenable  elaborate  oration  regulate 

carbonate  irascible  democrat  forensic 

enervate  idealism  educate  amuse 

(2)  Words  containing  obscure   short  sounds   which  ap- 
proach short  u. 


SYLLABICATION.  63 

formal  poet  idol  consul 

garland  pupil  capitol  student 

travel  merit  forum  benevolent 

(3)  Unaccented  syllables  ending  in  r  preceded  by  one  of 
the  vowels  are  pronounced  with  the  same  vowel  sound. 

friar  sulphur  senator  lawyer 

porter  satyr  orator  creator 

nadir  legislator  gladiator  savior 

doctor  educator  solicitor  sailor 


SECTION    V.  —  SYLLABICATION. 

Syllabication  is  the  dividing  of  a  word  into  such  parts  as 
will  produce  the  most  euphonious  pronunciation. 

I.   FORMATION  OF  SYLLABLES. 

A  syllable  consists  of  an  element  or  a  combination  of 
elements  uttered  with  a  single  impulse  of  the  voice. 

Certain  tonic  elements  may  take  this  impulse  either  as  a 
word  or  one  of  the  syllables  of  a  word.  e.  g.  a,  ah,  awe, 
O,  eye;  about,  arena,  enervate,  idea,  0val,  unique. 

The  liquid  subtonics,  —  /,  m,  n,  r, — when  they  occur  in 
certain  positions,  may  take  the  place  of  tonics  and  form 
the  basis  of  syllables,  e.  g.  the  word  trouble  is  equivalent 
in  pronunciation  to  troubel,  the  word  little  to  litel,  fire,  to 
fier.  But  it  is  a  serious  fault  to  make  two  syllables  of  such 
words  as  spring  (spu-rin*g),  slain  (su-lain^,  bless  (bu-less1), 
smote  (su-mote^,  snare,  (su-nar'e),  etc. 

On  account  of  the  strength  of  vocality  of  the  vowel 
sounds  two  of  them  cannot  be  sounded  in  the  same  vocal 
impulse.  There  must  be  a  separate  impulse  for  each  tonic 
element  of  a  word.  The  singleness  of  this  muscular  effort 
marks  the  complete  syllable.  The  consecutive  impulses  do 


64  PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 

not  necessarily  break  the  progress  of  the  sound.  In  the 
word  a-e-ri-al,  for  example,  there  are  four  distinct  impulses, 
each  of  the  vowels  forming  the  basis  of  a  syllable.  In  the 
word  beau,  on  the  other  hand,  e,  a,  and  u  stand  as  the 
equivalent  of  long  o  forming  but  the  one  syllable  bo.  The 
words  blame  and  strengths  likewise  have  each  but  a  single 
impulse,  —  the  latter  containing  seven  sounds,  the  greatest 
number  that  can  be  uttered  in  one  impulse. 

Dr.  James  Rush  in  his  work  on  "The  Human  Voice" 
speaking  of  this  muscular  impulse,  says  that  the  radical 
[beginning]  and  vanish  [ending]  are  essential  functions  of  a 
syllable  and  that  "  each  of  the  tonics  may  by  itself  form  a 
syllable,  since  they  cannot  be  pronounced  singly  without 
going  through  the  radical  and  vanish.  It  follows  also  that 
two  of  the  tonics  cannot  be  united  into  one  vocal  impulse. 
For  each  having  its  own  radical  and  vanish,  they  must  pro- 
duce two  separate  syllables.  Consistently  with  this,  when- 
ever two  elementary  tonics  adjoin,  they  always  belong  to 
different  syllables  in  pronunciation,  as  in  aerial,  oasis,  and 
iota."  It  follows,  then,  that  there  must  be  as  many  syllables 
as  there  are  distinct  tonic  or  open  sounds. 

II.  DIVISION  OF  WORDS  INTO  SYLLABLES. 

"  The  most  natural  way  of  dividing  words  into  syllables 
is  to  separate  all  the  simple  sounds  so  as  not  to  divide 
those  letters  which  are  joined  close  together  according 
to  the  most  accurate  pronunciation."  —  Encyclopaedia 
Britannica. 

The  two  special  points  to  be  considered  in  syllabication 
are  etymology,  and  phonetic  euphony. 

i.  The  etymology  of  the  word  is  the  dividing  of  the 
word  with  reference  to  its  derivation  ;  as  thus,  sub-ordinate 
not  su-bordinate,  re-numerate  not  rem-unerate,  con-jugate  not 
conj-ugate,  etc.,  and 


SYLLABICATION.  65 

2.  The  phonetic  euphony,  i.  e.  the  dividing  of  a  word 
with  reference  to  smoothness  of  utterance  ;  as  thus,  re-ligion 
not  rel-igion,  spe-cific  not  spec-ific,  long-est  not  lon-gest,  etc. 

For  specific  rules  in  regard  to  syllabication  the  student  is 
referred  to  a  standard  dictionary. 

III.    SYLLABLES,  AS  TO  NUMBER  AND  POSITION. 

1 .  According  to  the  number  of  its  syllables  a  word  is 
called  :  — 

A  Monosyllable  —  a  word  of  one  syllable, 
A  Dissyllable  —  a  word  of  two  syllables, 
A  Trissyllable  —  a  word  of  three  syllables,  or 
A  Polysyllable  —  a  word  of  more  than  three,  or  of  many 
syllables. 

2.  According   to    its   position   in   a   word   a   syllable   is 
called  :  — 

The  Ultimate  —  when   it   is   the  last  syllable  of   a  word 

(re-morse), 

The  Penult  —  when  the  last  but  one  (vig-or), 

The  Antepenult  —  when  the  last  but  two  (to^-ti-ful), 

The  Preantepenult  —  when  the  last  but  three  (^//>-it-u-al), 

or 

The  Propreantepenult  —  when  the  last  but  four  (dis-/>/- 

ter-es-ted-ness). 

IV.    TIME-VALUE  OF  SYLLABLES. 

Syllables  as  to  Intrinsic  Time-Value  are  of  three  classes : 
Indefinite,  Mutable,  Immutable. 

1.  Indefinite   syllables    are    long   in  quantity  intrinsic- 
ally.      They    may   be    pronounced    quickly    or    prolonged 
at  will.     They  are  composed  wholly  of  continuant x  sounds, 
e.  g.  lame,  arm,  all,  roar,  etc. 

2.  Mutable    syllables    are    changeable    as    to    intrinsic 
quantity.       They   may   be    pronounced    short,    or    may   be 

i  The  student  is  here  referred  to  the  Table  of  English  Quantities,  page  46. 


66  PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 

prolonged  moderately.  They  are  composed  of  a  combi- 
nation of  Stopts  and  continuants,  e.g.  rate,  tale,  moat, 
like,  bleed,  etc. 

3.  Immutable  syllables  are  always  short  intrinsically. 
They  are  composed  wholly  of  stopt  sounds  and  cannot  be 
prolonged  without  a  drawl,  e.g.  bat,  check,  putty,  sketch, 
stop,  etc. 

SECTION   VI.— ACCENTUATION. 

Accent  is  a  term  used  to  denote  the  special  weight  of 
voice  put  upon  one  syllable  of  a  word  to  distinguish  it 
from  the  rest.  Mr.  James  E.  Murdoch,  in  his  "Analytic 
Elocution,"  defines  accent  as  the  "fixed  but  inexpressive 
distinction  of  one  syllable  from  the  rest  in  every  word  of 
two  or  more  syllables."  Accent  is  to  a  word  what  emphasis 
is  to  a  phrase  or  clause.  It  is  difficult  sometimes  to  deter- 
mine where  accent  develops  into  emphasis. 

When  words  are  uttered  with  no  particular  feeling  or 
earnestness  there  is  an  alternate  action  and  reaction  of  the 
voice  which  makes  certain  syllables  stronger  than  others. 
This  is  a  physical  convenience  and  a  necessity,  and  a  means 
of  differentiating  words.  Every  English  word  of  more  than 
one  syllable  has  at  least  one  syllable  thus  made  prominent. 

Accent  was  used  by  the  Greeks  for  the  purpose  of  render- 
ing their  speech  varied  and  musical.  It  was  a  combination 
of  what  we  call  melody  with  accent,  only  that  some  of  the 
notes  were  musical.  The  natural  desire  for  pleasing  variety 
exists  in  all  languages.  In  some  the  accentual  distinction 
is  very  much  more  marked  than  in  others.  The  French,  for 
instance,  has  an  accent  very  much  lighter  than  that  of  the 
English.  A  strong  accent  is  one  of  the  distinguishing 
features  of  English,  and  one  of  its  chief  elements  of  power. 
It  is  a  great  source  of  variety,  a  constituent  element  of 
rhythm,  and  therefore  a  leading  factor  in  versification. 


ACCENTUATION.  6/ 

I.    KINDS  OF  ACCENT. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  accent  with  respect  to  their 
weight  or  importance  :  The  primary,  the  secondary,  and  the 
tertiary. 

i.  The  primary  (')  is  the  strongest  of  the  accents,  and 
is  to  be  found  in  all  words  of  more  than  one  syllable,  as 
wom'&n,  rebuke1. 

2  .  The  secondary  (")  is  an  accent  of  lighter  weight,  used 
in  connection  with  the  primary,  and  on  some  other  than  the 
principal  syllable.  It  is  used  when  there  are  more  syllables 
than  can  be  pronounced  without  this  extra  support  of  voice, 
e.g.  in"destrucf\b\e,  ad"a.manf\Yie,  an"tedefav'ian. 

3.  The  tertiary  ('")  is  the  lightest  of  the  accents,  and 
is  used  only  in  connection  with  the  others  in  certain  very 
long  words,  its  use  being  the  same  as  that  of  the  second- 
ary accent,  viz.  to  relieve  the  ear  and  support  the  voice  ; 
e.  g. 


II.   VARIATION  OF  ACCENT. 

The  change  of  position  of  the  accent  in  English  serves  a 
variety  of  purposes. 

i.    To  show  contrast. 

Variation  in  accent  enables  us  to  show  the  difference 
in  meaning  between  words  of  similar  form  when  they  are 
placed  in  opposition. 

When  the  root  syllables  are  the  same  the  accent  is  placed 
on  the  prefix  or  suffix  of  one  of  the  contrasted  words,  usually 
the  last,  e.g.  "Shall  we  ascend'  1"  "No,  let  us  Ascend." 
"  The  body  is  destructible,  the  soul  zVdestruc"tible." 

Ordinarily,  in  the  above  words  when  there  is  no  anti- 
thesis the  accent  falls  on  the  root  syllable  ;  e.  g.  descend', 
\ndestrucf\b\e. 

Furthermore,  accent  may  be  changed  to  imply  a  contrast 
when  but  one  of  the  opposed  words  is  given  ;  e.  g. 


68  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

"And  for  my  soul  what  can  it  do  to  that, 
Being  a  thing  /^'mortal  as  itself."  —  Shak. 

"  This  is  flwj'tructive". 

2.  To  distinguish  Parts  of  Speech. 

Where  words  of  different  parts  of  speech  have  the  same 
form,  lexicographers  mark  the  distinction  in  most  cases  by 
a  change  of  accent.  Hence  accent  varies  :  — 

(1)  To  distinguish  between  a  noun  and  a  verh ;  e.  g. 

con'trast  contrast' 

cem'ent  cement' 

ac'cent  accent' 

pro'gress  progress' 

ov'erthrow  overthrow' 

(2)  To  distinguish  an  adjective  from  a  verb. 

per'fect  perfect' 

ab'sent  absent' 

fre'quent  frequent' 

pres'ent  (or  noun)  present' 

reb'el  (or  noun)  rebel' 

(3)    To  distinguish  a  noun  from  an  adjective. 

Au'gust  august' 

com'pact  compact' 

min'ute  minute' 

gallant'  *     gal'lant 

It  must  not  be  understood  that  all  dissyllables  used  as 
nouns  or  adjectives,  and  verbs,  vary  in  accent.  The  follow- 
ing are  examples  of  words  that  vary  in  pronunciation,  but 
not  by  accent  :  abuse,  abuse;  diffuse,  diffuse ;  excuse,  excuse. 

3.  To  satisfy  metre. 

Poets  sometimes  deviate  from  generally  accepted  author- 
ity, and  place  accent  where  the  verse  requires  it,  e.  g. 


ACCENTUATION.  69 

"  What  may  this  mean, 

That  thou,  dead  corse,  again,  in  ^w'plete  steel, 
Revisit'st  thus  the  glimpses  of  the  Moon, 
Making  night  hideous,"  etc.  —  Shak. 

"  My  fate  cries  out. 

And  makes  each  petty  artery  in  this  body 
As  hardy  as  the  A^?'mean  lion's  nerve."  —  Shak. 

"  The  bride  had  consented,  —  the  ^tf/'lant  came  late."  —  Scott. 


"Macbeth  shall  never  vanquished  be,  until 
Great  Birnam  wood  to  high  DuuwVane  hill 
Shall  come  against  him. 

I  will  not  be  afraid  of  death  and  bane, 

Till  Birnam  forest  comes  to  Z^Tz'sinane."  —  Shak. 

"  'Tis  sweet  and  ^w/z'mendable  in  your  nature,  Hamlet, 
To  give  these  mourning  duties  to  your  father."  —  Shak. 

4.    For  Dialectic  Purposes. 

In  pronouncing  broken  English  as  foreigners  pronounce 
it  we  vary  the  accent  to  suit  the  dialect.  For  instance,  the 
French  place  the  accent  slightly  stronger  on  the  second 
syllable  of  a  dissyllable,  about  equally  on  the  first  and  third 
of  a  trissyllable,  and  in  a  polysyllable  on  every  other  one 
beginning  with  the  second.  As  for  example  in  the  following 
passage  from  "  Innocents  Abroad  :  " 

"  I  show  you  beau'tiful',  O,  magnificent'  bust  Chris'topher' 
Col'ombo',  splem&V/',  grand,  mzgnif'icenf.  .  .  .  Dis'twer* 
Kmer"\ca' —  dis'cvver'  Amer'ica',  O,  ze  dev//'." — Mark  Twain. 

The  position  of  accent  is  determined  by  usage.  There  is 
a  growing  tendency,  however,  to  draw  it  back  as  near  as 
possible  to  the  first  syllable  of  words. 

For  explicit  rules  in  regard  to  accent  the  student  is  re- 
ferred as  before  to  the  leading  lexicographers. 


70  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

SECTION    VII.— WORDS    COMMONLY  MISPRONOUNCED. 

We  append  the  following  list  of  words  that  are  ordinarily 
mispronounced.  Let  the  student  consult  a  standard  diction- 
ary, mark  diacritically  each  word,  and  then  pronounce  them 
over  repeatedly  with  distinctness  and  accuracy.  This  is  the 
surest  means  of  acquiring  good  habits  of  pronunciation. 

It  will  be  inferred  from  what  has  already  been  said  that  a 
word  when  mispronounced  must  be  defective  in  at  least  one 
of  four  things  :  in  consonant  sound,  quality  of  vowel  sound, 
syllabication,  or  accent. 

I.  Words  in  which  one  or  more  consonant  sounds  are 
often  given  wrongly  :  — 


absolve 
anchovy 
apostle 
archipelago 
blouse 

derision 
disaster 
effusive 
equation 
exclusive 

jocose 
languor 
licorice 
loth 
mausoleum 

paths 
piquantly 
profuse 
pumpkin 
salmon 

booth 

exordium 

mistletoe 

shriek 

Caucasian 
chastisement 

explosive 
falcon 

nasal 
nausea 

soldier 
swaths 

concourse 

financier 

often 

truths 

denunciate 

government 

orison 

version,  etc. 

II.  Words   commonly    pronounced  with   some    improper 
modification  of  vowel  sound  :  — 


alder 

bronchitis 

granary 

mandamus 

apex 

brooch 

haunches 

monad 

apparatus 

clique 

hearth 

national 

audacious 

data 

heinous 

patronage 

aunt 

dolorous 

hoof 

plover 

bath 

ducat 

hover 

pretty 

been 

due 

inveigle 

rapacious 

bicycle 

finis 

lenient 

strata 

bravado 

extol 

lute 

thought 

breeches 

gratis 

legate 

water,  etc. 

WORDS    COMMONLY    MISPRONOUNCED. 


III.    Words  in  which  syllabication  is  often  defective  :  — 


ameliorate 

business 

gaol 

ordeal 

ambrosial 

caisson 

heaven 

orthoepy 

antipodes 

calliope 

helm 

pageant 

appreciate 

cerements 

ideal 

pyrites 

arduous 

chasm 

individual 

rhythm 

audience 

cocoa 

ingredient 

satiety 

axiom 

contrariety 

javelin 

seven 

bachelor 

desuetude 

nauseous 

soldier 

barbarous 

elm 

odious 

venial 

beauteous 

filial 

orator 

viceroy,  etc. 

IV.  Words  in  which  the  accent  is  commonly  misplaced:  — 


ally 
belial 

decorous 
diocesan 

brigand 
calliope 

disputable 
disinterestedness 

canine 
catafalque 
coadjutor 
commandant 

etiquette 
exemplary 
extant 
finance 

construe 
contumely 

gladiolus 
illustrated 

These  lists  i 

nay  be  supplement 

indissoluble 

inquiry 

lyceum 

mandarin 

metallurgy 

mirage 

mischievous 

museum 

obdurate 

obligatory 


occult 

opponent 

ordeal 

orthoepy 

orchestra 

precedence 

pyramidal 

romance 

routine 

tribune,  etc. 


CHAPTER   VI.  —  EMPHASIS. 

Emphasis  is  the  special  distinction  given  to  words  by 
means  of  the  Elements  of  Expression.  It  is  to  a  phrase 
or  clause  what  accent  is  to  a  word.  Emphasis  is  not  a 
vocal  element,  it  is  the  result  of  an  application  of  elements. 
When  one  has  mastered  the  principles  of  expression,  his 
application  of  the  elements  may  be  summed  up  in  the  one 


/2  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

word  Emphasis.  This  is  the  sine  qua  non  of  elocution.  It 
is  that  by  which  we  determine  the  thought,  emotion  or 
feeling  of  the  speaker,  —  that  by  which  a  reader  brings  out 
the  intent  of  an  author.  In  a  larger  sense,  Emphasis  makes 
prominent  any  utterance  or  action  which  more  effectually 
reveals  our  Mental,  Emotive,  or  Vital  state. 

Due  discrimination  in  the  relative  importance  of  words  is 
essential  to  good  reading  and  speaking.  It  is  a  singular  fact 
that  the  same  ease  in  Emphasis  with  which  one  addresses 
his  fellows  in  conversation  seldom  attends  him  when  he 
undertakes  public  address  or  reading  aloud.  Ease  and 
directness  are  sources  of  power  that  the  public  man  cannot 
afford  to  dispense  with.  They  awaken  attention,  and 
because  of  the  definiteness  with  which  words  are  stamped 
upon  the  ear  by  discriminative  Emphasis,  they  stimulate 
thought.  Emphasis,  when  properly  given,  discloses  the 
exact  meaning  of  the  sentence,  shows  the  relation  of  the 
parts,  and  makes  a  definite  impression  upon  the  ear.  One 
may  give  as  many  different  impressions  as  there  are  words 
in  the  sentence,  those  conceptions  depending  upon  the  rela- 
tive importance  given  the  words.  This  discrimination  in 
words  is  the  simplest  form  of  Emphasis.  It  sets  forth  the 
logical  meaning  and  appeals  to  the  understanding  alone. 
But  when  the  elements  which  express  emotion  are  intro- 
duced, then  we  address  the  feelings  and  the  imagination. 
"This  it  is,"  remarks  Professor  Plumptre,  "which  gives  life 
and  spirit  to  discourse,  and  enables  it  to  produce  its  noblest 
effects  and  most  important  results.  We  have  it  in  our  power 
not  only  to  make  others  conceive  our  ideas  as  we  conceive 
them,  but  to  make  them  also  feel  them  as  we  feel  them." 

It  is  not  only  necessary  that  the  orator  state  his  case  to 
the  understanding,  but  he  must  impress  it  upon  the  heart 
and  persuade  men.  In  the  former  the  mind  is  attentive, 
and  in  a  measure  passive,  in  the  latter  the  emotions  are 
kindled  and  the  man  is  persuaded  to  a  course  of  action. 


EMPHASIS    OF    SENSE.  73 

Emphasis  gives  color  and  purpose  to  language.     The 

student  should  ask  himself,  what  is  the  central  idea  in  the 
sentence,  and  what  words  can  we  least  afford  to  dispense 
with.  He  thus  ascertains  the  purpose  of  the  author  before 
giving  an  interpretation  of  his  language. 

To  formulate  a  plan  by  which  the  student  may  fix  upon 
the  word  or  group  of  words  embodying  the  thought  or 
emotion  of  the  author  we  here  outline  the  kinds  of  Emphasis. 
This  applies  to  the  language  itself  and  not  to  the  means  of 
emphasizing. 

f  OBJECTIVE      f 

f SENSE      J  ANTITHETIC  j  ExPRESSED' 
EMPHASIS  OF  I  CLIMACTIC     I  IMPLIED- 

EMOTION 


SECTION   I.— EMPHASIS    OF   SENSE. 

Emphasis  of  Sense  addresses  itself  to  the  intellect.     It 

is  the  comparative  prominence  we  are  constantly  giving  to 
words  in  order  to  reach  the  understanding.  It  lies  outside 
the  will  or  feeling  and  goes  to  intensify  meaning.  The 
divisions  of  Emphasis  of  sense  are  three  :  Objective, 
Antithetic,  and  Climactic. 

I.    OBJECTIVE  EMPHASIS. 

Objective  Emphasis  is  that  which  is  required  by  the 
strength  of  words  in  relation  to  the  context.  It  occurs  upon 
such  words  as  are  necessary  to  the  sense,  —  the  key-words 
of  the  idea  ;  as 'in  the  following  :  — 

"It  was  noontide.  The  sun  was  very  hot.  An  old  gentlewoman 
sat  spinning  in  a  little  arbour  at  the  door  of  her  cottage.  She 
was  blind  ;  and  her  grand-daughter  was  reading  the  Bible  to 

""X 

HE  X 

f   UNIVERSITY  ) 


her." —  Charles  Lamb. 

.•HE 


74  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

The  underscored  words  are  essential  ;  they  form  the 
skeleton  of  the  narrative.  Further  illustrations  :  — 

"The  funeral  of  the  late  Mr.  Bertram  was  performed  with 
decent  privacy,  and  the  unfortunate  young  lady  was  now  to 
consider  herself  as  but  the  temporary  tenant  of  the  house  in  which 
she  had  been  born,  and  where  her  patience  and  soothing 
attentions  had  so  long  "  rocked  the  cradle  of  declining  age." — 
Scott. 

"  Now  when  Jesus  was  born  in  Bethlehem  of  Judaea  in  the 
days  of  Herod  the  king,  behold,  there  came  wise  men  from  the 
east  to  Jerusalem,  saying,  Where  is  he  that  is  born  King  of  the 
Jews?  for  we  have  seen  his  star  in  the  east,  and  are  come  to 
worship  him."  —  Matthew  ii :  i,  2. 


Good  reading  is  a  right  expression  of  ones  understanding 
of  the  thought  of  the  author.  Conceptions  may  differ  widely. 
Objective  Emphasis  enables  one  to  express  these  various 
meanings,  hence  it  is  sometimes  called  Discretionary  Em- 
phasis ;  e.  g.  in  the  passage  from  Hamlet, 

"  Give  me  that  man 

That  is  not  passion's  slave,  and  I  will  wear  him 
In  my  heart's  core,  ay,  in  my  heart  of  heart, 
As  I  do  thee," 

it  has  been  a  question  with  the  actors  which  word  of  the 
phrase  "  heart  of  heart "  should  receive  the  chief  Emphasis, 
some  claiming  the  reading  should  be  "  heart  of  heart,"  others 
"heart  of_  heart,"  still  others  "heart  of  heart."  The  first 
seems  to  us  the  preferable  reading,  for  if  the  lines  read, 
"  I  will  wear  him  in  my  heart's  core,  aye,  in  the  centre  of  it," 
the  case  would  be  clear.  Here  "centre"  stands  in  the 
place  of  the  first  "  heart."  But  whatever  the  reading,  Ob- 


EMPHASIS    OF    SENSE.  75 

jective  Emphasis  would  be  employed  to  express  the  actor's 
conception  of  the  sense  of  the  phrase. 

II.    ANTITHETIC  EMPHASIS. 

Antithetic  Emphasis  is  that  which  is  employed  to  show 
a  contrast.  It  occurs  only  in  the  rhetorical  figure  Antithesis, 
hence  the  name.  It  is  either  Expressed  or  Implied. 

i .  Expressed  Antithesis. 

In  Expressed  Antithesis  all  the  terms  of  contrast  appear 
in  the  sentence.  There  may  be  one,  two,  three,  or  even  more 
terms  in  the  opposed  clauses.  Whatever  the  number  they 
must  be  made  strong  by  Emphasis. 

(1)  Examples  of  Single-term  antithesis  :  — 

"  I  come  to  bury  Caesar,  not  to  praise  him." — Shak. 
"Be  thou  familiar,  but  by  no  means  vulgar." — Ibid. 
"The  apparel  oft  proclaims  the  man."  —  Ibid. 
"Neither  a  borrower  nor  a  lender  be.". — Ibid. 
"Let  us  be  sacrificers,  but  not  butchers."  —  Ibid. 
"  But  be  ye  doers  of  the  word,  and  not  hearers  only,  deceiving 
your  own  selves."  —  Bible. 

(2)  Examples  of  Double-term  antithesis  :  — 

"He  had  a  fox's  cunning,  a  hyena's  heart,  and  a  monkey's 
form." — Halm. 


"  Like  wrath  in  death  and  envy  afterwards."  —  Shak. 

"  Benedick.    Well,  you  are  a  rare  parrot-teacher. 

"Beatrice.  A  bird  of  my  tongue,  is  better  than  a  beast  of 
yours. 

"  Bene.  I  would  my  horse  had  the  speed  of  your  tongue  ; 
and  so  good  a  continuer.  But  keep  your  way  o'  God's  name  ;  I 
have  done." — Much  Ado  About  Nothing,  Act  I,  Scene  i. 


76  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

(3)  Examples  of  Triple-term  antithesis  :  — 

"  Kings  will  be  tyrants  from  policy  when  subjects  are  rebels 
from  principle." — Burke. 

"In  Homer  we  discern  all  the  Greek  vivacity,  in  Virgil  all  the 
Roman  stateliness." — Blair. 

"  You  have  worked  as  a  statesman  for  the  enemy,  I  as  a 
minister  for  my  country." — Demosthenes. 

(4)  Examples  in  which  there  are  more  than  three  terms 
are  rarely  found,  but  Walker  gives  the  following  couplet  as 
an  illustration  :  — 

"He  raised  a  mortal  to  the  skies; 
She  drew  an  angel  down." 

2.  Implied  Antithesis. 

In  Implied  Antithesis  only  a  part  of  the  contrast  is 
expressed,  usually  but  one  member. 

If,  for  example,  we  should  say,  "  President  Robbins  spoke 
against  the  measure,"  it  is  not  necessary  to  add,  "not./fr/ 
it,"  because  that  is  implied  in  the  Emphasis. 

In  "  Innocents  Abroad,"  when  the  guide  exhibits  the 
handwriting  of  Columbus,  the  Doctor  exclaims,  "Why,  I 
have  seen  boys  in  America  only  fourteen  years  old  that 
could  write  better  than  this,"  the  implication  is  that  "  this 
was  written  by  a  mature  person  (Columbus)  in  some  other 
country  (Europe)." 

Take  the  couplet  from  "  Young  Lochinvar:  "  — 

"  She  looked  down  to  blush  and  she  looked  up  to  sigh, 
With  a  smile  on  her  lip  and  a  tear  in  her  eye." 

"  Lip  "  and  "  eye  "  are  sometimes  erroneously  made  em- 
phatic. "  On  her  lip  "  and  "  in  her  eye  "  are  not  necessary 


EMPHASIS    OF    SENSE.  JJ 

to  the  sense,  and  when  made  emphatic  the  implication  is 
that  smiles  and  tears  appear  some  other  place.  In  another 
couplet,  in  the  same  selection  :  — 

"  She  is  won;  we  are  gone,  over  bank,  bush,  and  scaur, 
They'll  have  fleet  steeds  that  follow,  quoth  young  Lochinvar." 

The  word  "  steeds  "  is  often  erroneously  given  the  chief 
Emphasis  in  the  last  line.  This  implies  that  their  pursuers 
might  go  by  train,  or  coach,  or  on  foot,  but  would  better  take 
"steeds;"  by  making  "fleet"  the  chief  word  we  presuppose 
that  his  pursuers  would  go  on  horseback,  and  that  their 
steeds  must  be  "fleet "  ones. 

Jevons  in  his  Logic  uses  the  following  as  an  illustration 
of  a  semi-logical  fallacy,  such  as  implied  contrasts  often 
prove  to  be.  It  seems  that  all  supplied  words  in  the  Bible 
are  italicised  ;  it  does  not  follow  that  they  are  emphatic. 
The  word  "  him  "  in  the  following  verse  is  such  a  word,  and 
it  is  sometimes  erroneously  emphasized.  The  implication 
is  at  once  apparent. 

"  And  he  spake  to  his  sons,  saying,  '  Saddle  me  the  ass.'  And 
they  saddled  him" —  i  Kings  xiii.  27. 

In  the  sentence,  "The  doctor  and  his  wife  occupied  a 
box ;  the  rest  of  the  audience  were  respectable,"  if  "  re- 
spectable" be  made  emphatic,  the  implication  is  that  the 
doctor  and  his  wife  were  not  respectable.  If  "rest"  be 
given  the  emphasis  there  is  no  such  implication. 

III.    CLIMACTIC  EMPHASIS. 

Climactic  Emphasis  is  that  in  which  there  is  an  accumu- 
lation or  heaping  of  Emphasis  requiring  progressive  energy. 
When  the  members  of  a  series  rise  in  gradation  each  should 
be  made  stronger  than  the  preceding  one,  until  the  climax 
or  "  key-stone  "  is  reached.  This  form  of  Emphasis  occurs 


78  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

only  on  the  rhetorical  figure  Climax,  and  hence  the  name. 
In  the  following  examples  the  climactic  words  are  under- 
scored. The  taste  and  judgment  of  the  student  will  indi- 
cate the  means  of  increasing  the  Emphasis  as  the  series 
progresses. 

"  But  while  I  do  live  let  me  have  a  country,  or  at  least  the 
hope  of  a  country,  and  that  a  free  country  .  .  .  All  that  I 
have,  all  that  I  am,  all  that  I  hope  in  this  life  I  am  now  ready- 
here  to  stake  upon  it." — Webster. 

"  Thou  slave,  thou  wretch,  thou  coward  ! 

Thou  little  valiant  great  in  villainy  !  .  .  . 

What  a  fool  wert  thou, 

A  ramping  fool,  to  brag,  and  stamp,  and  swear, 

Upon  my  party  ! "  King  John,  Act  1 1 1,  Scene  i . 

Marullus.     "You  blocks,  you   stones,  you   worse  than 

senseless  things  ! 

O  you  hard  hearts,  you  cruel  men  of  Rome, 
Knew  you  not  Pompey?     Many  a  time  and  oft 
Have  you  climbed  up  to  walls  and  battlements, 
To  towers  and  windows,  yea  to  chimney-tops, 
Your  infants  in  your  arms,  and  there  have  sat 
The  live-long  day,  with  patient  expectation 
To  see  great  Pompey  pass  the  streets  of  Rome. 

Be  gone ! 

Run  to  your  houses,  fall  upon  your  knees, 
Pray  to  the  gods  to  intermit  the  plague 
That  needs  must  light  on  this  ingratitude." 

Julius  Ccesar,  Act  I,  Scene  i. 

"  Liberty  and  union  shall  spread  a  civilization  from  the  Occi- 
dent to  the  Orient  —  from  the  flowery  shores  of  the  great  Southern 


EMPHASIS    OF    SENSE.  /9 

gulf  to  the  frozen  barriers  of  the  great  Northern  bay  !  Not  in- 
tertwined with  slavery,  but  purged  of  its  contamination  ;  a  civil- 
ization that  means  universal  freedom,  universal  enfranchisement, 
universal  brotherhood.  —  Phillips. 

"  The  cold  Greenville,  the  brilliant  Townsend,  the  reckless 
Hillsborough,  derided,  declaimed,  denounced,  laid  unjust  taxes, 
.and  sent  troops  to  collect  them." —  Curtiss. 

IV.    SUGGESTIONS  FOR  APPLYING  EMPHASIS. 

No  rules  can  be  laid  down  as  to  the  parts  of  speech  that 
receive  the  Emphasis.  Any  word  may  become  emphatic 
under  certain  conditions.  The  following  general  suggestions, 
however,  should  be  observed  in  the  application  of  Emphasis : 

1 .  When  a  word  introduces,  or  becomes  an  important 
part  of  a  new  idea  it  becomes  emphatic. 

"  I  claim  them  for  countrymen,  one  and  all ;  the  Laurenses^ 
the  Rutledges,  the  Pinckneys,  the  Sumpters,  the  Marions,  Amer- 
icans all,  whose  fame  is  no  more  to  be  hemmed  in  by  State  lines, 
than  their  talents  and  patriotism  were  capable  of  being  circum- 
scribed within  the  same  narrow  limits." — Webster. 

2.  When  ideas  are  presupposed,  or  when  they  have 
been  expressed  or  implied,  words  re-introducing  them, 
unless  repeated  for  Emphasis,  remain  unemphatic. 

"Yet  out  of  this  mixed,  and>  as  you  say,  despicable  mass  he 
forged  a  thunderbolt  and  hurled  it  at  what?  At  the  proudest 
blood  in  Europe,  the  Spaniard,  and  sent  him  home  conquered  ; 
at  the  most  warlike  blood  in  Europe,  the  French,  and  put  them 
under  his  feet;  at  the  pluckiest  blood  in  Europe,  the  English,  and 
they  skulked  home  to  Jamaica." — Phillips. 

In  the  above  passage  the  phrase  "proudest  blood  in 
Europe"  when  first  used  is  emphatic  ;  when  the  part  "blood 


80  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

in  Europe  "  is  repeated  in  the  next  clause  it  is  unemphatic 
from  having  just  been  expressed,  but  the  word  "warlike" 
becomes  very  emphatic  by  contrast  with  "proudest"  as 
does  "pluckiest"  in  the  clause  following. 

In  like  manner,  by  implication,  "put  them  under  his  feet " 
being  equivalent  to  "conquered"  remains  unemphatic,  ex- 
cept the  word  " them"  which  is  strong  by  contrast. 


SECTION   II.  — EMPHASIS   OF   EMOTION. 

Emphasis  of  Emotion  addresses  itself  to  the  heart.  It  is 
the  outgrowth  of  feeling.  We  gather  the  sense  of  discourse 
from  the  speaker's  Emphasis  ;  his  emotions  spring  out  of 
the  thought,  and  he  conveys  both  sense  and  emotion  in  his 
utterance.  From  this  it  would  seem  that  we  may  have 
sense  without  emotion,  but,  except  with  inarticulate  cries, 
no  emotion  without  sense.  While  Emphasis  of  Emotion  gen- 
erally carries  with  it  the  sense,  it  is  not  always  applied  to  the 
sense  words ;  there  are  often  emotional  words  that  take  the 
chief  Emphasis,  the  sense  words  receiving  neither  more  nor 
less  than  their  accustomed  weight,  e.  g.  in  the  sentence, 
"  Can  it  be  possible  ?  "  the  most  important  sense  word  is 
"possible"  the  most  important  emotional  word  is  "can"  and 
while  both  are  strong  in  Emotional  Emphasis,  "  can  "  takes 
precedence. 

Likewise  in  the  sentence,  "  How  could  he  be  so  cruel  ?  " 
the  most  important  sense  word  is  "cruel"  the  chief  emo- 
tional word  is  "could" 

Observe  the  principal  emotional  words  in  the  following 
sentences  :  — 

"  Must  I  endure  all  this  ?  " 

"  Is  it  come  to  this  ?  " 

"Have  I  not  cause  enough  for  anger?" 

"  Would  you  be  so  merciless  ?  " 


EMPHASIS    OF    EMOTION.  8 1 

Portia.     "  Then  must  the  Jew  be  merciful." 
Shylock.     "  On  what  compulsion  must  I  ?  " 

Shak. 

The  above  marking  represents  but  one  of  several  ac- 
ceptable renderings  by  different  readers.  It  will  readily  be 
seen  that  Emphasis  of  Emotion  is  a  "  law  unto  itself,"  and 
is  regulated  more  by  the  individuality  of  the  speaker  than 
by  the  construction  of  language.  In  no  particular  do  men 
differ  more  than  in  their  emotional  characteristics.  Different 
persons  will  give  Emotional  Emphasis  to  different  words  in 
the  same  sentence,  and  so  long  as  such  Emphasis  keeps 
within  the  bounds  of  Emphasis  of  Sense  as  indicated  in  the 
preceding  section,  it  is  correct.  For  instance,  in  the  im- 
passioned words  of  Patrick  Henry's  speech  :  "  Gentlemen 
may  cry,  Peace,  peace  !  but  there  is  no  peace,"  one  speaker 
would  make  "  is "  the  emotive  word,  another  would  em- 
phasize "no"  and  yet  another  would  give  prominence  to 
the  word  "peace" 

Furthermore,  the  same  person  under  different  circum- 
stances will  give  Emotional  Emphasis  to  different  words  of 
the  same  sentence.  We  quote  from  the  well  known  Shakes- 
pearian critic,  Mrs.  Jamison,  who  in  writing  of  the  great 
actress,  Mrs.  Siddons,  says  :  — 

"  In  her  impersonation  of  the  part  of  Lady  Macbeth,  Mrs. 
Siddons  adopted  three  different  intonations  in  giving  the  words 
'We  fail.'  At  first,  a  quick,  contemptuous  interrogation  —  We 
fail?  Afterwards  with  the  note  of  admiration  —  We  fail!  and 
an  accent  of  indignant  astonishment,  laying  the  principal  em- 
phasis on  the  word  we  —  We  fail !  Lastly,  she  fixed  on  what  I 
am  convinced  is  the  true  reading  —  We  fail.  With  the  simple 
period,  modulating  her  voice  to  a  deep,  low,  resolute  tone,  which 
settled  the  issue  at  once  ;  as  though  she  had  said,  '  If  we  fail, 
why  then  we  fail,  and  all  is  over.'  This  is  consistent  with  the 
dark  fatalism  of  the  character,  and  the  sense  of  the  lines  follow- 
ing ;  and  the  effect  was  sublime,  —  almost  awful." 


82  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Means  of  Emphasis.  —  Effects  in  Emphasis  are  reached 
by  means  of  the  Elements  of  Vocal  Expression  and  Action, 
which  will  be  treated  fully  in  Parts  II.  and  III.  respectively. 
It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  each  application  of  a  prin- 
ciple to  illustrative  material  in  the  following  pages  is  a 
practical  Emphasis. 


PART    II. 


THE    ELEMENTS    OF    VOCAL    EXPRESSION. 

WEBSTER  defines  an  element  as  "one  of  the  essential 
parts  or  principles  upon  which  the  fundamental  powers  of 
anything  are  based."  There  are  certain  recognized  powers 
of  expression  in  man's  voice  and  action  ;  if  by  analysis  we 
may  resolve  these  into  their  essential  elements  or  principles, 
arrange  these  principles  in  scientific  form  for  study  and 
practice,  and  by  laws  of  synthesis  apply  them  in  the  art  of 
expression,  we  may  lay  claim  to  a  science  worthy  the  place 
it  is  now  taking  in  the  curricula  of  our  best  schools  and 
colleges. 

Nature  is  the  original  source  from  which  we  must  draw 
our  knowledge  of  applied  principles  in  expression.  The 
elements  of  audible  expression  are  exemplified  in  Nature 
wherever  force  produces  vibration.  The  principles  of  vocal 
expression  are  heard  in  Nature  whenever  sensation  or 
thought  or  emotion  is  expressed  by  the  vibration  of  vocal 
ligaments.  We  hear  them  in  all  their  varied  forms  from 
the  discordant  croak  of  a  frog  to  the  finely  attuned  notes 
of  a  Patti. 

There  are  four  generic  vocal  elements,  namely  :  Quality, 
Force,^Piteh-  and  Time.  No  sound  can  be  uttered  that 
does  not  embody  all  of  these,  while  in  their  various 
modifications  and  combinations  every  shade  of  expression 
can  be  traced.  Briefly  defined,  Quality  is  the  kind  of 
sound ;  Force  is  the  power  with  which  sound  is  sent 
forth  ;  Pitch  is  the  elevation  or  depression  of  a  sound  on  the 


84  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

scale  ;  and  Time  is  the  duration  of  utterance.  It  will  be 
readily  seen  that  all  these  are  absolutely  essential  to  every 
utterance. 

Dr.  Rush  in  his  "Philosophy  of  the  Human  Voice" 
claims  that  there  is  a  fifth  element  which  he"  calls 
Abruptness.  This  is  simply  an  occlusion  of  the  organs 
previous  to  the  explosive  utterance  of  certain  sounds  in 
different  degrees  of  Force,  and  is  not  essential  to  all  utter- 
ance. As  it  is  but  a  physical  adjustment  of  the  organs 
and  not  a  part  of  the  sound  itself,  it  is  no  more  a  vocal 
element  than  the  preparatory  act  of  inhalation  or  the 
iction  of  the  abdominal  muscles.  Nor  does  it  yield  to 
the  triune  test  to  which  we  shall  subject  the  four  great 
generic  vocal  elements.  Then  for  all  or  any  one  of  these 
reasons  we  must  here  depart  from  the  teachings  of  Dr.  Rush. 

On  the  other  hand  the  ultra  Delsartian  would  admit  but 
three  generic  elements,  and  perhaps  because  he  has  recog- 
nized a  fourth  (Time)  and  is  unable  to  classify  it,  he  has 
abandoned  the  hope  of  reducing  the  vocal  elements  of 
Elocution  to  the  exactness  of  his  talismanic  trio.  But  we 
think  his  error  lies  in  the  fact  that  he  has  attempted  to 
reduce  the  materials  of  vocal  expression  to  a  dogmatic 
classification  instead  of  analyzing  these  materials  to  find 
their  properties  for  revealing  man's  triune  nature.  But 
lis  same  condition  confronts  him  in  the  study  of  Action 
to  which  the  Delsarte  philosophy  is  almost  exclusively 
applied.  The  pantomimic  agents  are  not  grouped  in  trios  ; 
we  have  one  head,  one  torso,  and  four  limbs.  Further 
subdivision  sustains  the  assertion ;  we  have  two  eyes, 
one  nose,  one  mouth,  two  legs,  two  feet,  two  arms,  two 
hands,  and  ten  fingers.  Delsarte  has  simply  analyzed  each 
of  these  agents  of  countenance,  gesture  and  attitude,  dis- 
covered their  expressive  zones  and  movements,  and  shown 
their  correspondence  to  man's  triune  nature.  He  did  not 
stop  at  the  foundation  of  his  scientific  structure  because 


RUSH    AND    DELSARTE    PHILOSOPHIES.  85 

the  materials  about  him  were  one,  two,  five,  or  ten  in 
variety  or  number  and  of  other  forms  than  his  illustrative 
triangle;  but  like  a  " master-builder "  he  gathered  up  the 
materials  at  hand,  discovered  their  inherent  properties  and 
shaped  and  used  them  accordingly. 

So  in  the  realm  of  speech  we  should  not  turn  aside  from 
our  investigation  because  there  are  four  generic  elements 
instead  of  three.  "True  science  never  thrusts  facts  into 
theories,  but  adapts  theories  to  facts."  We  have  endeavored 
to  establish  the  truth  of  the  triune  theory  in  man's  nature 
(p.  8).  If  this  be  true,  all  the  facts  of  expression  in  elocu- 
tion and  oratory  that  have  been  recorded  by  writers  from 
Quintillian  to  the  present  time  will  but  echo  its  truth  ;  while 
on  the  other  hand,  all  the  unproved  statements  of  theorists 
must  disappear. 

Then  into  this  triune  crucible  let  us  throw  the  vocal 
elements  of  the  Rush  philosophy  together  with  all  the  dis- 
coveries and  statements  of  more  recent  writers  and  teachers, 
and  by  this  experimental  test  we  shall  be  able  to  separate 
the  true  and  the  false,  to  cast  aside  the  dross  of  misstate- 
ment  and  false  opinions  and  retain  the  golden  truths  of 
expression  as  found  in  Nature. 


I.  — HARMONY    OF    THE    RUSH    AND    DELSARTE 
PHILOSOPHIES. 

By  the  triune  analysis  we  have  found  that  each  of  the  four 
generic  vocal  elements  subdivides  into  three  specific  di- 
visions that  correspond  exactly  to  the  threefold  division  of 
man's  nature.  Warned  by  the  error,  which,  according  to 
his  representatives,  Delsarte  made  in  his  analysis  of  the 
agents  of  action  by  carrying  his  triune  subdivisions  into  the 
territory  of  the  purely  imaginative  and  ofttimes  wholly  unex- 
plainable,  we  have  endeavored  to  discover  the  boundary 
line  in  voice  beyond  which  practical  subdivisions  must  cease. 


. 


86  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

To  accomplish  this  we  have  made  an  arbitrary  subdivision 
of  each  specific  element  and  in  turn  of  each  subdivision. 
/This  revealed  the  fact,  which  we  may  here  write  down  as 

/ 1  a  law  for  future  guidance,  that  as  long  as  an  element  sub- 
divides into  its  varieties  or  kinds,  the  subdivisions  corre- 

*\  spond  to  man's  threefold  nature;  but  when  the  sub- 
division marks  simply  the  degrees,  or  parts,  or  different 
ways  of  applying  the  same  element  the  subdivisions  must 
find  their  response  to  the  triune  nature  only  through  their 
correspondence  to  and  combination  with  other  elements. 
For  instance,  the  following  tabular  view  of  the  vocal  ele- 
ments (p.  87)  shows  that  the  generic  element  Force  sub- 
divides into  the  specific  elements  Form,  Degree,  and  Stress, 
which,  we  will  show,  correspond  to  the  Emotive,  Vital,  and 
Mental  natures  respectively.  The  specific  element  Form 
subdivides  into  three  kinds,  and  Stress  into  six  kinds,  each 
of  which,  in  turn,  responds  to  one  of  the  three  divisions  of 
man's  nature,  but  the  four  subdivisions  of  Degree  do  not  so 
respond.  You  cannot  say  that  one  degree  of  Force  is 
Mental,  another  Emotive,  or  another  Vital ;  they  simply 
mark  degrees  of  the  same  thing,  just  as  six  inches  or  one- 
third  of  a  yard  of  cloth  are  not  varieties  of  the  cloth  but  are 
merely  measurements  of  it. 

Likewise  the  specific  subdivisions  of  Pitch  are  Degree, 
Change,  and  Melody  which  correspond  respectively  to  the 
Vital,  Mental  and  Emotive  natures  ;  but  there  are  five  Degrees 
which  do  not  so  respond  ;  two  Changes  (Concrete  and  Dis- 
crete) which  are  but  two  ways  of  changing  from  a  lower  to 
a  higher  or  from  a  higher  to  a  lower  degree  ;  and  two  di- 
visions of  Melody  (Current  and  Cadence)  which  are  but 
parts  of  the  Melody  of  the  whole  sentence.  These  sub- 
divisions, however,  reveal  some  of  nature's  most  active 
agents  of  expression  which  limit  and  measure  the  range  of 
other  elements  through  which,  in  turn,  their  response  to 
man's  triune  nature  is  made  manifest. 


RUSH    AND    DELSARTE    PHILOSOPHIES. 
II.  —  TABULAR   VIEW    OF    THE    SUBJECT. 

/  ~  ~~-  -—^Mental  ». 

/  .Orotund-,----"  ^^ 


;      ra]setto^.; 


\Aspirate.__  -. 
\PectoraL  -•-"* 


^JS,tf  usive Ernoti  va, 

«/--"' .Expulsive Mental^  \ 

Vital  -~ ,\\ 


^-Impassionedv 


^x'__,Energetic--,.\N 


.FORCE/ DEGREE  ^: 


%MAN. 


--Subdued-  ^' 


"-JVf.ental/    // 
'  ^Compound  --'"  // 

•  ''/''    _3Iedian .^  /  / 

\STRESS    ^'-  -•—""" 


\  "  "  Thorough.  .  _  .s.":>,  Vital  _  / 
s  Intermittent-''' 


Uigh^ 
'•—1 Middle ~"-"N^fital  —  -> 

^"x  S 

-~JLow *•*'  / 

s->Very  Low' 


III.       / 


PITCHv .CHANGE  ---"*'  ~:~JMental :>MAN 

N.  ~~--— -Discrete---"'  ' 


—-Discrete- 

___Cur.rent^_^ 

~ ""  -  -  -  JCadence. --' "" 

^.Long 

.^_.  __Medium 


IV.      / 
TIME/ PAUSE Rhetorical Mental _^MAN. 

\  _.Rate x' 

~-~^Vital-^x 


88  PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 

From  a  logical  standpoint  the  further  discussion  of  these 
facts  must  be  reserved  for  the  treatment  of  each  element  in 
its  due  order.  The  preceding  diagrams,  however,  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  divisions  and  subdivisions  of  the  elements 
will  give  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  whole  subject ;  and  we 
trust  that  the  discussions  which  follow  will  establish  the  har- 
mony of  the  Rush  and  Delsarte  philosophies. 


CHAPTER  L  — QUALITY. 

The  generic,  vocal  element  Quality  is  the  kind  or 
character  of  voice.  The  French  timbre  (stamp)  and  the 
German  klang-farbe  (tone-color)  are  used  by  some  writers  to 
define  Quality.  When  we  speak  of  the  quality  of  cloth  we 
mean  the  kind  of  material  regardless  of  its  color,  size,  or 
shape  ;  so  the  Quality  of  voice  means  the  kind  of  voice 
independent  of  its  modulation,  the  intensity  with  which  it 
is  given,  or  the  length  of  time  it  is  continued. 

By  Quality  we  most  readily  distinguish  voices  ;  we  soon 
learn  to  know  a  person  by  the  sound  of  his  voice.  A 
number  of  persons  may  sing  in  concert  the  same  succession 
of  notes,  using  the  same  time  and  loudness,  but  we  may 
easily  distinguish  the  individual  voices  by  their  Quality. 
A  half  dozen  different  kinds  of  musical  instruments  may  be 
attuned  to  play  the  same  selection  in  perfect  harmony,  but 
the  Quality  of  the  flute  or  violin  is  different  from  that  of  a 
cornet  or  a  violoncello.  These  differences  are  due  to  the 
size  and  shape  of  the  musical  instruments  ;  so  the  slightest 
difference  in  the  size,  shape,  and  physical  condition  of  the 
vocal  organs  or  cavities  makes  a  difference  in  the  Quality 
of  human  voices.  Nature  has  established  a  line  of  demar- 
cation between  the  male  and  female  voices  which  no  art 
should  attempt  to  break  down.  As  the  child  grows  into 
youth  and  youth  into  manhood  his  voice  changes,  and  as 
old  age  creeps  on,  his 

"  big  manly  voice 

Turning  again  toward  childish  treble,  pipes 
And  whistles  in  his  sound." 

Every  human  being  at  any  period  of  life  has  naturally 
one  predominant  Quality  and  seven  other  distinct  Qualities 


QO  PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 

in  different  stages  of  development.  In  the  eight  Qualities 
with  their  various  blendings  and  their  combinations  with 
other  elements  he  expresses  his  whole  range  of  thought 
and  emotion. 

I.     RESONANCE. 

A  distinguishing  characteristic  of  each  Quality  is  its 
Resonance.  As  this  term  is  used  in  the  definitions  which 
follow,  it  should  be  explained  here.  Helmholtz  defines 
Resonance  as  "  the  strengthening  or  reinforcing  of  a  sound." 

Resonance  is  produced  by  the  vibration  of  a  body  of  air 
enclosed  or  partly  enclosed  in  some  cavity,  or  by  the  re- 
inforcing vibrations  of  some  contiguous  body.  For  instance 
vibrations  are  created  by  the  projection  of  breath  at  the 
proper  angle  into  the  embouchure  of  a  flute  ;  these  vibrations 
are  re-enforced  by  reflection  from  its  inner  surface  until  the 
whole  instrument  vibrates  and  gives  forth  sound  waves  in 
the  peculiar  Quality  of  the  flute.  We  strike  the  keys  and  set 
the  strings  of  a  piano  to  vibrating  ;  this  vibration  is  inten- 
sified by  the  co-vibration  of  the  sounding-board  located 
in  the  resonant  cavity,  and  we  hear  the  peculiar  Quality 
of  the  piano.  So  the  human  voice  has  its  primary  vibrative 
medium  in  the  vocal  cords,  its  secondary  reinforcing  vibra- 
tive material  in  the  bones  and  cartilages  of  the  chest,  throat, 
and  head,  and  its  various  resonant  cavities,  also  in  the 
chest,  throat,  and  head  (p.  14),  in  which  we  locate  the  eight 
Qualities  of  voice. 

II.     DIVISIONS  AND  DIAGRAMS. 

The  Qualities  of  voice,  in  the  orde*  created  in  this  volume, 
are  :  (i)  Normal,  (2)  Orotund,  (3)  Oral,  (4)  Aspirate,  (5) 
Guttural,  (6)  Pectoral,  (7)  Nasal,  and  (8)  Falsetto. 

As  impression  should  always  precede  expression,  and  the 
natural  direction  of  expression  is  from  within  out,  we  will 
reverse  the  order  of  the  diagrams  on  page  87  as  we  consider 


QUALITY.  QI 

each  element.     For  Quality  this  gives  us  the  following  dia- 
gram :  — 

___Normal  —  ^ 

-     ---- 

-------  ^Orotund  ^     xs 

S  _O.ral  ------    ***VX. 

MAN      /_  ________  LVnAi^"---  --^QUALITY 

(as  a  Psychic  *"<V~-~  ------  .Nasal  --------  '/-''/  *a  generic 

Being)     \  x"^~---,  ^-''V'/vocal  element) 

\  Xs    ^'•' 


, 

Emotive*-^'.'  __________  Aspirate^'  / 

----Pectoral./ 


Here  we  have  a  beautiful  harmony  between  the  Psychic 
Being  and  a  Generic  Vocal  Element  through  which  this 
Being  seeks  to  express  itself.  From  the  standpoint  of  man 
we  hear  the  Quality  of  Nature's  voice,  for  example,  in  the 
prattle  qf  children.  Our  analysis  classifies  this  Quality 
as  the  specific  Normal;  through  this  Normal  we  receive 
Mental  impressions  ;  thus  if  we  wish  to  convey  our  purely 
mental  impressions  unstirred  by  unusual  vitality  or  emotion 
we  must  use  our  Normal  Quality.  Again,  suppose  the 
Quality  of  Nature's  voice  is  Pectoral,  such  as  is  heard  in  the 
low  rumbling  sounds  of  distant  cannon  or  of  a  gathering 
storm.  These  sounds  stir  the  emotive  nature  and  convey 
through  the  law  of  correspondence  the  impression  of  deepest 
sublimity  or  awe:  then  when  we  give  utterance  to  the  deepest 
sublimity  or  awe  in  expression  we  should  use  our  Pectoral 
Quality,  because  our  voice  should  correspond  with  our 
psychic  state.  By  this  course  of  investigation  and  reason- 
ing we  may  evolve  a  profounder  philosophy  of  expression 
than  a  mere  record  of  the  accepted  truths  of  Elocution. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  Orotund  and  the  Guttural 
Qualities  occupy  the  pivotal  points  in  the  scale  upon  which 
the  triune  natures  turn.  The  reasons  for  this  will  be  fully 
shown  in  the  discussions  which  follow.  It  should  also  be 
remembered  that  each  Quality  responds  in  different  degrees 


92  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

and  proportions  to  the  three  states  of  Being,  but  in  the 
above  table  they  are  arranged  according  to  the  nature 
which  leads  (see  p.  14).  More  exact  lines  will  be  drawn 
when  we  combine  the  Qualities  with  the  modifying  elements 
of  Force,  Pitch,  and  Time. 


SECTION    I.— NORMAL   QUALITY. 

I.    DEFINITION  AND  USE. 

The  Normal  (from  norma,  rule)  is  the  ordinary,  pre- 
dominant, characteristic  Quality  peculiar  to  each  indi- 
vidual. It  is  the  natural  basis  upon  which  all  the  other 
Qualities  rest,  each  of  which  is  some  modification  of  or 
variation  from  the  Normal.  The  typical  Normal  is  pure  and 
the  resonance  is  in  the  upper  and  back  part  of  the  mouth. 

Because  the  perfection  of  this  Quality  is  purity  it  is  sometimes 
called  Pure  Tone,  but  a  pure  Normal  is  the  exception  rather  than 
the  rule.  A  speaker's  Normal  Quality  may  be  very  harsh  and  im- 
pure yet  it  is  no  less  his  Normal  tone  bearing  the  stamp  of  his 
peculiar  characteristics.  It  is  also  erroneously  called  Natural, 
by  some  writers,  but  this  implies  that  the  other  Qualities  are  un- 
naturalj  they  are  all  natural  when  rightly  used  and  unnatural  when 
wrongly  used.  Accepting  the  word  in  its  more  specific  sense  as 
used  in  science,  we  have  ventured  to  name  this  Quality  the  Normal. 

The  Normal  belongs  to  the  Mental  division  of  man's  triune 
nature,  and  is  the  Quality  by  which  we  express  our  normal 
thoughts  and  feelings,  such  as  conversation,  didactic  thought, 
joy,  or  mild  pathos,  when  the  body  is  in  a  normal  condition 
and  the  mind  is  not  agitated  by  any  unusual  restraint  or 
strong  emotion.  It  is  heard  in  Nature  in  the  rippling 
brook,  the  song  of  birds,  the  prattle  and  laughter  of  chil- 
dren, and^he  ordinary  conversation  of  all  people  in  all 


NORMAL    QUALITY.  93 

nations.  To  acquire  or  improve  this  purity  the  student 
should  try  to  convert  the  stream  of  air  into  tone  by  a 
clear,  smooth,  even  vibration  of  the  vocal  cords,  and  with 
an  exact  and  unobstructed  reflection  from  the  hard  palate. 
Conform  to  these  conditions  and  practice  on  the  tonics 
(p.  45),  and  the  following  :  — 

II.    ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS. 

[NOTE.  —  When  the  illustrative  selection  contains  a  great  predominance  of 
the  elements  under  consideration  the  lines  will  not  be  underscored;  but  when 
a.  few  words  of  the  selection  illustrate  the  particular  element  they  will  be  marked 
by  an  underscored  line.J 

From  MACBETH.    Act  I,  Scene  VI. 

Duncan.     This  castle  hath  a  pleasant  seat ;   the  air 
Nimbly  and  sweetly  recommends  itself 
Unto  our  gentle  senses. 

Banquo.  The  guest  of  summer, 

The  temple-hauntmg  martlet,  does  approve, 
By  his  lov'd  mansionry,  that  the  heaven's  breath 
Smells  wooingly  here  :  no  jutty,  frieze, 
Buttress,  nor  coigne  of  vantage,  but  this  bird  hath  made 
His  pendent  bed,  and  procreant  cradle  : 
Where  they  most  breed  and  haunt,  I  have  ob«erv'd, 
The  air  is  delicate. 

Shakespeare. 

From  HISTORY. 

At  the  dawn  of  civilization,  when  men  began  to  observe  and 
think,  they  found  themselves  in  possession  of  various  faculties, — 
first  their  five  senses,  and  then  imagination,  fancy,  reason,  and 
memory.  They  did  not  distinguish  one  from  the  other.  They 
did  not  know  why  one  idea  of  which  they  were  conscious  should 
be  more  true  than  another.  They  looked  around  them  in  con- 
tinual surprise,  conjecturing  fantastic  explanations  of  all  they 
saw  and  heard.  Their  traditions  and  their  theories  blended  one 
into  another,  and  their  cosmogonies,  their  philosophies,  and  their 
histories  are  all  alike  imaginative  and  poetical.  It  was  never 


94  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

perhaps  seriously  believed  as  a  scientific  reality  that  the  Sun  was 
the  chariot  of  Apollo,  or  that  Saturn  had  devoured  his  children, 
or  that  Siegfred  had  been  bathed  in  the  dragon's  blood,  or  that 
earthquakes  and  volcanoes  were  caused  by  buried  giants,  who 
were  snorting  and  tossing  in  their  sleep  ;  but  also  it  was  not 
disbelieved. — James  Anthony  Froude. 


From  A  LEGEHD  OF  BREGEHZ. 

Girt  round  with  rugged  mountains  the  fair  Lake  Constance  lies, 
In  her  blue  heart  reflected,  shine  back  the  starry  skies  ; 
And,  watching  each  white  cloudlet  float  silently  and  slow, 
You  think  a  piece  of  Heaven  lies  on  our  Earth  below  ! 

Midnight  is  there  ;  and  silence,  enthroned  in  heaven,  looks  down 

Upon  her  own  calm  mirror,  upon  a  sleeping  town  : 

For  Bregenz,  that  quaint  city  upon  the  Tyrol  shore, 

Has  stood  above  Lake  Constance  a  thousand  years  and  more. 

Her  battlements  and  towers,  upon  their  rocky  steep, 
Have  cast  their  trembling  shadows  for  ages  on  the  deep  ; 
Mountain,  and  lake,  and  valley  a  sacred  legend  know, 
Of  how  the  town  was  saved  one  night,  three  hundred  years  ago. 

Adelaide  A.  Proctor. 

X  


SECTION    II.— OROTUND    QUALITY. 

I.    DEFINITION  AND  USE. 

The  Orotund  (named  by  Dr.  Rush  from  os,  the  mouth, 
and  rotundus,  round,  smooth)  is  a  strong,  clear,  voluminous 
Quality  with  the  resonance  in  the  upper  part  of  the  chest. 
It  has  the  purity  of  the  Normal  but  is  deeper  in  resonance * 

1  The  student  should  distinguish  between  change  of  resonance  and 
i  mere  change  of  Pitch.  Different  resonances  may  be  reached  on  the 
same  degree  of  Pitch  and  vice  versa.  The  Orotund  is  most  easily  pro- 
duced in  the  low  or  very  low  Pitch,  but  it  ranges  also  into  the  very  high. 


OROTUND    QUALITY.  95 

and  is  greater  in  volume  and  strength.  The  Orotund  is 
illustrated  in  the  low,  deep  tones  of  the  pipe  organ,  the 
roar  of  the  ocean,  or  the  booming  of  distant  cannon.  Our 
diagram  (p.  91)  shows  this  as  one-  of  the  pivotal  Qualities 
responding  to  the  Vital  as  well  as  to  the  Mental  nature. 
In  expression  it  always  conveys  the  impression  of  intense 
mentality,  and  at  the  same  time  it  is  the  strongest  of  the 
eight  Qualities.  The  predominance  of  either  the  Mental  or 
Vital  in  this  Quality  depends  upon  the  particular  sentiment 
to  be  expressed,  as  will  be  shown  when  we  combine  it  with 
the  other  elements  which  modify  it. 

The  Orotund  is  used  to  express  thoughts  and  emotions  of  a . 
solemn,  dignified  and  lofty  nature,  such  as  reverence,  grandeur, 
patriotism,  and  courage.  This  Quality,  so  capable  of  culti- 
vation and  development  in  the  human  voice,  adds  greatly 
to  the  powers  of  a  speaker  who  would  reach  his  oratorical 
climaxes,  and  inspire  his  audience  to  action. 

To  produce  the  Orotund  open  wide  the  cavities  of  the 
mouth,  pharynx,  larynx,  and  chest,  and  so  project  and  reflect 
the  sound  that  it  shall  be  clear  and  full,  and  shall  be  re- 
inforced especially  by  the  vibration  of  the  bones  of  the 
chest.  For  this  exercise  use  the  tonics,  and  words  containing 
a  predominance  of  tonics,  and  continuant  subtonics  (pp.  45  and 
46).  Be  careful  not  to  strain  or  over-tax  the  vocal  organs, 
keep  in  mind  grand  and  lofty  sentiments  such  as  are  found 
in  the  following  selections,  and  the  Orotund  will  soon  be- 
come as  easy  of  execution  as  the  Normal. 

II.    ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS. 

From  APOSTROPHE  TO  THE  OCEAN. 

Roll  on,  thou  deep  and  dark  blue  Ocean,  roll ! 
Ten  thousand  fleets  sweep  over  thee  in  vain  ; 
Man  marks  the  earth  with  ruin,  —  his  control 
Stops  with  the  shore  :  upon  the  watery  plain, 


96  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

The  wrecks  are  all  thy  deed,  nor  doth  remain 

A  shadow  of  man's  ravage,  save  his  own, 

When  for  a  moment,  like  a  drop  of  rain, 

He  sinks  into  thy  depths  with  bubbling  groan, 

Without  a  grave,  unknell'd,  uncoffin'd,  and  unknown. 

Byron. 

From  GOD'S  FIRST  TEMPLES. 

Father,  thy  hand 

Hath  reared  these  venerable  columns  :  Thou 
Didst  weave  this  verdant  roof.     Thou  didst  look  down 
Upon  the  naked  earth,  and  forthwith  rose 
All  these  fair  ranks  of  trees.     They  in  Thy  sun 
Budded,  and  shook  their  green  leaves  in  Thy  breeze, 
And  shot  toward  heaven.     The  century-living  crow, 
Whose  birth  was  in  their  tops,  grew  old  and  died 
Among  their  branches,  till  at  last  they  stood, 
As  now  they  stand,  massy  and  tall  and  dark, 
Fit  shrine  for  humble  worshipper  to  hold 
Communion  with  his  Maker.  Bryant. 

From  OUR  DUTIES  TO  THE  REPUBLIC. 

We  stand  the  latest,  —  and,  if  we  fail,  probably  the  last, — 
experiment  of  self-government  by  the  people.  We  have  begun 
it  under  circumstances  of  the  most  auspicious  nature.  We  are 
in  the  vigor  of  youth.  Our  growth  has  never  been  checked  by 
the  oppressions  of  tyranny.  Our  constitutions  have  never  been 
enfeebled  by  the  vices  or  luxuries  of  the  old  world.  Such  as  we 
are,  we  have  been  from  the  beginning,  —  simple,  hardy,  intelligent, 
accustomed  to  self-government  and  to  self-respect.  The  Atlantic 
rolls  between  us  and  any  formidable  foe.  Within  our  own  terri- 
tory, stretching  through  many  degrees  of  latitude  and  longitude, 
we  have  the  choice  of  many  products  and  many  means  of  inde- 
pendence. The  government  is  mild.  The  Press  is  free.  Religion 
is  free.  .Knowledge  reaches  or  may  reach  every  home.  What 
fairer  prospect  of  success  could  be  presented?  What  means 
more  adequate  to  accomplish  the  sublime  end?  What  more  is 
necessary  than  for  the  people  to  preserve  what  they  have  them- 


ORAL    QUALITY.  97 

selves  created?  Already  has  the  age  caught  the  spirit  of  our 
institutions.  It  has  already  ascended  the  Andes,  and  snuffed  the 
breezes  of  both  oceans.  It  has  infused  itself  into  the  life-blood 
of  Europe,  and  warmed  the  sunny  plains  of  France  and  the  low- 
lands of  Holland.  It  has  touched  the  philosophy  of  Germany 
and  the  North  ;  and,  moving  onward  to  the  South,  has  opened  to 
Greece  the  lessons  of  her  better  days.  Can  it  be  that  America, 
under  such  circumstances,  can  betray  herself?  Can  it  be  that 
she  is  to  be  added  to  the  catalogue  of  republics,  the  inscription 
upon  whose  ruins  is  :  "  They  were,  but  they  are  not "  ?  Forbid 
it,  my  countrymen  !  Forbid  it,  Heaven  !  — Judge  Story. 


SECTION   III.  — ORAL   QUALITY. 

I.   DEFINITION  AND  USE. 

The  Oral  (from  os,  the  mouth)  is  a  thin,  weak,  shallow 
Quality  with  the  resonance  in  the  front  part  of  the  mouth. 

It  is  so  feeble  that  it  co'mes  apparently  from  the  lips  and  is 
diametrically  opposite  to  the  Orotund  in  strength,  resonance 
and  significance.  It  is,  as  the  word  signifies,  a  mouth  tone, 
and  has  but  little  re-inforcing  vibration.  It  is  produced  by 
a  weak  projection  of  breath,  a  feeble  vibration  of  the  vocal 
cords,  and  a  shallowness  of  the  resonant  cavities.  When 
made  very  low,  it  should  not  be  confounded  with  the  Pectoral, 
or  when  very  high,  with  the  Falsetto. 

This  Quality  is  omitted  in  Dr.  Rush's  Philosophy,  and  it 
is  further  confused  by  other  writers  with  the  Aspirate  and 
Pectoral.  It  plainly  belongs  to  the  Vital  class  of  Qualities 
as  it  marks  the  least  degree  of  vitality  used  in  expression, 
just  as  the  Orotund  marks  the  strongest.  When  the  Vital 
nature  of  a  person  is  at  its  lowest  ebb  the  Oral  Quality  is 
the  physical  result. 

The  Oral  is  illustrated  in  nature  by  the  voice  of  any 
animal  when  exhausted  by  sickness  or  fatigue.  Even  a 


98  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

little  child  knows  when  his  canary  bird  is  sick  by  its  thin 
Oral  chirp. 

In  expression  the  Oral  is  generally  used  only  in  an  im- 
personative  sense  and  indicates  timidity,  indifference,  languor, 
fatigue,  or  feebleness.  Like  other  Qualities  it  becomes  a  fault 
when  wrongly  used  and  as  such  it  should  be  avoided. 
Read  with  Oral  Quality  the  first,  second,  and  the  under- 
scored parts  of  the  third  illustration  below. 

II.    ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS. 
From  AS  YOU  T.TTTR  IT.    Act  II,  Scene  6. 

Adam.  Dear  master,  I  can  go  no  further  :  O,  I  die  for  food  ! 
Here  lie  I  down,  and  measure  out  my  grave.  Farewell,  kind 
master.  —  Shakespeare. 

From  WOUITOED. 

I  am  dying  ;  bend  down,  till  I  touch  you  once  more  ; 
Don't  forget  me,  old  fellow  :  God  prosper  this  war  ! 
Confusion  to  enemies  !  —  keep  holfl  of  my  hand,  — 
And  float  our  dear  flag  o'er  a  prosperous  land  ! 
Where's  Wilson,  —  my  comrade,  —  here,  stoop  down 

your  head  ; 
Can't  you  say  a  short  prayer  for  the  dying  and  dead  ? 

William  E.  Miller. 

From  THE  FAMTJTE. 
In  the  wigwam  with  Nokomis, 
With  those  gloomy  guests  that  watch 'd  her, 
With  the  Famine  and  the  Fever, 
She  was  lying,  the  beloved, 
She,  the  dying  Minnehaha. 
"  Hark  ! "  she  said,  "  I  hear  a  rushing, 
Hear  a  roaring  and  a  rushing, 
Hear  the  Falls  of  Minnehaha 
Calling  to  me  from  a  distance  ! " 


ASPIRATE    QUALITY.  99 

"  No,  my  child  !  "  said  old  Nokomis, 

"  'Tis  the  night-wind  in  the  pine-trees." 

"  Look  !  "  she  said,  "  I  see  my  father 

Standing  lonely  at  his  door-way, 

Beckoning  to  me  from  his  wigwam 

In  the  land  of  the  Dacotahs." 

"  No,  my  child  !  "  said  old  Nokomis, 

"  'Tis  the  smoke  that  waves  and  beckons." 

"  Ah  ! "  she  said,  "  the  eyes  of  Pauguk 

Glare  upon  me  in  the  darkness, 

I  can  feel  his  icy  fingers 

Clasping  mine  amid  the  darkness  ! 

Hiawatha  !  Hiawatha  !  " 

Longfellow. 


SECTION    IV.  — ASPIRATE   QUALITY. 

I.    DEFINITION  AND  USE. 

The  Aspirate  (from  aspiro,  to  breathe)  is  a  breathy, 
whispered  Quality.  The  resonance  varies  according  to 
the  position  of  the  organs  and  the  distended  and  relaxed 
condition  of  the  resonant  cavities.  The  breath  may  be 
partly  vocalized  or  wholly  unvocalized. 

In  ordinary  respiration  the  passage  of  the  breath  through 
the  trachea,  larynx,  mouth  and  nasal  cavities  is  inaudible  ; 
but  in  the  Aspirate  Quality  the  organs  approximate  the 
position  of  vocalization,  though  the  vocal  cords  are  with- 
held from  vibrating.  The  sound  is  produced  by  the  vibra- 
tion of  the  false  vocal  cords  and  the  mucous  membrane  of 
the  throat  and  mouth,  and  by  the  peculiar  reflection  given 
the  stream  of  air  by  the  position  of  the  vocal  organs. 
Dependent  upon  the  intensity  with  which  the  breath  is  sent 
forth,  this  Quality  varies  from  the  gentlest  whisper,  ex- 


100  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

pressing  the  merest  secrecy  or  caution,  to  the  strong,  breathy, 
half- vocalized  sounds  heard  in  strong  passion  or  vehemence. 

This  Quality  evidently  belongs  to  the  Emotive  class.  It 
always  gives  the  impression  of  some  restraint  or  emotion. 
Strong  emotion,  such  as  that  engendered  by  fear,  often 
exerts  for  the  time  a  paralyzing  effect  upon  the  true  vocal 
cords  so  that  they  do  not  vibrate.  This  fact  is  recognized 
in  the  common  expression,  "  I  was  so  frightened  I  couldn't 
speak."  We  hear  the  "windy  suspiration  of  forced  breath" 
when  the  intensity  of  emotion  forces  out  more  breath  than 
can  be  vocalized. 

In  Nature  we  hear  the  Aspirate  in  the  escape  of  steam, 
the  whispering  wind,  and  the  hissing  sound  of  the  active 
volcano.  The  language  of  these  sounds  is  unmistakable, 
and  it  accords  with  the  correct  use  of  this  Quality. 

The  Aspirate  of  the  human  voice  is  easily  produced,  and 
when  practiced  judiciously  gives  economy  of  breath.  Prac- 
tice on  the  atonic  sounds  (p.  45)  and  on  appropriate  selec- 
tions in  Aspirate  Quality,  with  different  degrees  of  intensity, 
allowing  as  little  expenditure  of  breath  as  possible.  Care 
should  be  taken  not  to  dry  the  organs  by  too  continuous 
inhalation  or  to  practice  this  Quality  too  long  at  a  time. 
After  each  exercise  go  through  the  mechanical  act  of  swal- 
lowing to  restore  the  mucous  membrane  to  its  normal  con 
dition.  The  audibility  of  the  Aspirate  is  greatly  augmented 
by  a  very  distinct  and  accurate  articulation.  Give  all  of 
the  first  and  the  underscored  parts  of  the  second  selection 
in  Aspirate  Quality. 

II.    ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS. 

From  MACBETH.     Act  II,  Scene  i. 
Lady  Macbeth.          I  hear  a  knocking 
At  the  south  entry  :  retire  we  to  our  chamber. 
A  little  water  clears  us  of  this  deed : 
How  easy  is  it,  then  !     Your  constancy 


GUTTURAL    QUALITY.  IOI 

Hath  left  you  unattended.     Hark  !  more  knocking. 

Get  on  your  nightgown,  lest  occasion  call  us, 

And  show  us  to  be  watchers.     Be  not  lost 

So  poorly  in  your  thoughts.  Shakespeare. 

From  DARIUS  GREEK  AND  HIS  FLYING-MACHINE. 

"  Hush  !  "  Reuben  said,  "he's  up  in  the  shed  ! 
He's  open'd  the  winder,  —  I  see  his  head  ! 
He  stretches  it  out,  an'  pokes  it  about, 
Lookin'  to  see  'f  the  coast  is  clear, 

.  An'  nobody  near  ;  — 
Guess  he  don'o'  who's  hid  in  here  ! 
He's  riggin'  a  spring-board  over  the  sill ! 
Stop  laffin',  Solomon  !     Burke,  keep  still ! 
He's  a  climbin'  out  now — Of  all  the  things  ! 
What's  he  got  on  ?     I  van,  it's  wings  ! 
An'  that  t'other  thing  ?     I  vum,  it's  a  tail  ! 
An'  there  he  sets  like  a  hawk  on  a  rail ! 
Steppin'  careful,  he  travels  the  length 
Of  his  spring-board,  and  teeters  to  try  its  strength. 
Now  he  stretches  his  wings,  like  a  monstrous  bat ; 
Peeks  over  his  shoulder,  this  way  an'  that, 
Fur  to  see  'f  the'  's  anyone  passin'  by, 
But  the'  's  only  a  calf  an'  a  goslin'.nigh. 
They  turn  up  at  him  a  wonderin'  eye, 
To  see  —  The  dragon  !    he's  goin'  to  fly  ! 

Trowbridge. 


SECTION   V.  — GUTTURAL   QUALITY. 
I.    DEFINITION  AND  USE. 

The  Guttural  (from  guttur,  throat)  is  a  harsh,  throaty, 
impure  Quality  with  the  resonance  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  throat.  It  is  directly  the  opposite  of  a  typical  Normal 


IO2  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

in  purity  and  significance.  It  is  produced  by  forcing  the 
current  of  "vibratory  air"  through  a  contracted,  tense 
position  of  the  vocal  organs,  in  which,  as  Dr.  Rush  explains, 
"the  sides  of  the  larynx  and  the  base  of  the  tongue  are 
apparently  brought  in  contact  above  the  glottis."  The 
re-inforcing  vibration  is  confined  almost  exclusively  to  the 
false  vocal  cords,  and  the  mucous  membrane  of  those  parts 
of  the  throat  and  mouth  involved.  It  will  be  seen  that  this 
rigid  condition  of  the  vocal  organs  is  in  harmony  with  that 
of  the  whole  body  when  under  the  Emotive  and  Vital 
influences  that  actuate  this  Quality. 

The  Guttural  in  Nature  is  heard  in  the  cry  of  an  angry 
bird,  the  voice  of  an  angry  child,  the  snarl  of  an  angry  dog, 
the  growl  of  an  infuriated  tigress,  or  the  crash  of  a  violent 
storm.  It  is  the  natural  expression  of  any  malignant  passion 
or  emotion,  such  as  contempt,  scorn,  hatred  or  revenge.  We 
should  hate  the  false  as  well  as  love  the  true  and  beautiful ; 
we  cannot  fully  express  hatred  without  using  this  Quality. 

The  Guttural  is  a  medium  through  which  two  natures,  the 
Vital  and  the  Emotive,  manifest  themselves- ;  the  predomi- 
nance of  either  depends  upon  the  particular  emotion.  For 
instance,  in  scorn  or  revenge,  perhaps  the  Emotive  leads ;  while 
in  violent  hate  or  rage  great  vitality  is  added  to  the  Emotive, 
and  the  physical  powers  are  strung  to  their  utmost  tension. 

For  development  of  this  Quality  practice  on  the  tonics 
and  words  expressing  the  malignant  emotions  and  passions. 
When  practiced  with  reasonable  moderation,  at  proper  in- 
tervals, and  with  a  hearty  appreciation  of  its  significance, 
the  Guttural  is  very  strengthening  to  the  vocal  organs  ; 
it  gives  great  power  to  certain  strong  personation,  and 
oratorical  invective.  It  should  not  be  given  on  every  word 
of  a  sentence  unless  every  word  expresses  malignant  feeling, 
which  is  rarely  the  case.  It  is  to  be  applied  only  to  those 
words  which  embody  the  sentiment.  The  Guttural  placed 
upon  the  underscored  words  in  the  following  selections  will 


GUTTURAL    QUALITY.  1 03 

represent  but  one  of  many  conceptions  of  these  lines.     This 
marking  is  offered  by  way  of  suggestion  to  the  student. 

II.    ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS. 

From  CATILINE'S  DEFIANCE. 

"  Traitor  !  "     I  go  ;  but,  I  return  !    This  —  trial ! 
Here  I  devote  your  Senate  !     I've  had  wrongs 
To  stir  a  fever  in  the  blood  of  age, 
Or  make  the  infant's  sinews  strong  as  steel. 
This  day's  the  birth  of  sorrow  ;  this  hour's  work 
Will  breed  proscriptions  !     Look  to  your  hearths,  my  Lords  ! 
For  there,  henceforth,  shall  sit,  for  household  gods, 
Shapes  hot  from  Tartarus  ;  all  shames  and  crimes  ; 
Wan  Treachery,  with  his  thirsty  dagger  drawn  ; 
Suspicion,  poisoning  his  brother's  cup  ; 
Naked  Rebellion,  with  the  torch  and  axe, 
Making  his  wild  sport  of  your  blazing  thrones  ; 
Till  Anarchy  comes  down  on  you  like  night, 
And  Massacre  seals  Rome's  eternal  grave. 

From  OTHELLO. 

Oth.     O,  that  the  slave  had  forty  thousand  lives, 
One  is  too  poor,  too  weak  for  my  revenge  ! 
Now  do  I  see  'tis  true.  —  Look  here,  lago  ; 
All  my  fond  love  thus  I  do  blow  to  heaven  : 
'Tis  gone.  — 

Arise,  black  vengeance,  from  thy  hollow  cell ! 
Yield  up,  O  love,  thy  crown,  and  hearted  throne, 
To  tyrannous  hate  !  swell,  bosom,  with  thy  fraught, 
For  'tis  of  aspics'  tongues  ! 

lago.     Pray,  be  content. 

Oth.  O,  blood,  lago,  blood  ! 

Shakespeare. 


IO4  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

SECTION    VI.  — PECTORAL   QUALITY. 

I.    DEFINITION*  AND  USE. 

The  Pectoral  (from  pectus,  the  breast)  is  a  deep,  hollow, 
sepulchral  Quality  with  the  resonance  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  chest.  This  is  a  much  misunderstood  Quality. 
Because  it  resembles  other  Qualities,  some  writers,  includ- 
ing Dr.  Rush,  have  excluded  it  altogether  ;  but  we  hold  that 
it  is  a  distitict  Quality,  characteristic  of  sentiments  not 
expressed  by  any  of  the  other  Qualities.  It  is  similar  to 
the  Orotund  because  of  the  enlarged  size  of  the  resonance 
chamber,  but  it  is  lower  in  resonance  and  admits  of  less 
Force  and  purity  ;  it  resembles  the  Oral  in  lack  of  strength, 
but  these  two  Qualities  are  the  opposite  in  resonance,  and 
different  in  range  of  Pitch  ;  it  also  resembles  the  Aspirate  in 
its  lack  of  vocality,  and  in  its  significance  of  secrecy  and 
suppression,  but,  unlike  the  Aspirate  it  always  has  an  audible 
vibration  of  the  true  vocal  cords,  and  the  position  of  the 
vocal  organs  is  different  in  these  Qualities.  In  his  definitions 
of  the  Guttural  and  Pectoral  a  recent  writer  interchanges  the 
resonance  of  these  two  Qualities,  but  the  derivation  of  the 
words  would  seem  to  indicate  that  this  is  an  error.  The 
significance  of  each  is  essentially  different ;  the  Guttural  is 
aggressive,  the  Pectoral  is  defensive. 

The  Pectoral  belongs  to  the  Emotive  division,  and  is 
never  used  except  when  the  Emotive  Nature  is  strongly 
stirred.  Its  significance  is  unmistakable  in  the  lowest  notes 
of  a  large  pipe-organ,  and  in  the  low  rumbling  sounds  of  the 
earthquake,  the  active  volcano,  or  a  gathering  storm. 

We  use  the  Pectoral  to  express  those  sentiments  and  emo- 
tions inspired  by  the  majestic,  the  awful,  or  the  supernatural, 
such  as  awe,  deepest  reverence,  and  sublimity.  Many  of  the  sub- 
limest  passages  of  the  Bible  and  the  highest  dramatic  and 
oratorical  effects  can  be  expressed  only  in  this  Quality. 


PECTORAL    QUALITY.  1 05 

The  Pectoral  is  produced  by  opening  the  glottis  as  wide 
as  will  admit  of  vocalization,  and  so  projecting  the  breath 
that  the  re-inforcing  vibrations  shall  be  confined  to  the  soft, 
spongy  parts  of  the  lungs  and  the  bones  and  cartilages  of 
the  lower  chest.  If  the  student  will  take  a  full  inhalation, 
give  a  gentle,  continuous  Orotund,  then  open  the  glottis 
more  widely  allowing  the  escape  of  more  breath,  and  a  deeper 
resonance,  and  finally  run  this  Quality  into  a  simple  Aspirate, 
he  will  have  produced  the  distinct  Quality  of  Pectoral 
between  the  Orotund  and  the  Aspirate. 

Practice  in  Pectoral  the  tonics :  a  (as  in  arm),  a  (in  all), 
o  (in  old),  and  on  (as  in  our),  and  such  words  as  express  the 
sentiments  appropriate  to  this  Quality. 
*, 
II.    ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS. 

From  GENESIS.    Ch.  28,  vs.  16-17. 

And  Jacob  awakened  out  of  his  sleep,  and  he  said,  Surely  the 
Lord  is  in  this  place,  and  I  knew  it  not. 

And  he  was  afraid,  and  said,  How  dreadful  is  this  place  !  this 
is  none  other  but  the  house  of  God,  and  this  is  the  gate  of 
heaven. 

From  APPEAL  IN  BEHALF  OF  IRELAND. 

Famine,  gaunt  and  ghastly  famine,  has  seized  a  nation  with  its 
strangling  grasp.  .  .  .  Alas,  for  poor  human  nature  !  how  can  it 
sustain  this  fearful  warfare  ?  Day  by  day  the  blood  recedes,  the 
flesh  deserts,  the  muscles  relax,  and  the  sinews  grow  powerless. 
At  last  the  mind,  which  at  first  had  bravely  nerved  itself  against 
the  contest,  gives  way  under  the  mysterious  influences  which 
govern  its  union  with  the  body.  Then  the  victim  begins  to  doubt 
the  existence  of  an  overruling  Providence.  He  hates  his  fellow- 
men,  and  glares  upon  them  with  the  longing  of  a  cannibal  •  and, 
it  may  be,  dies  blaspheming.  —  S.  S.  Prentiss. 


IO6  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

From  MACBETH.     Act  II,  Scene  i. 

Macb.     Go  bid  thy  mistress,  when  my  drink  is  ready,     • 
She  strike  upon  the  bell.     Get  thee  to  bed.  —  {Exit  Servant. 
Is  this  a  dagger  which  I  see  before  me, 
The  handle  toward  my  hand  ?     Come,  let  me  clutch  thee. 
I  have  thee  not,  and  yet  I  see  thee  still. 
Art  thou  not,  fatal  vision,  sensible 
To  feeling  as  to  sight  ?  or  art  thou  but 
A  dagger  of  the  mind,  a  false  creation, 
Proceeding  from  the  heat-oppressed  brain? 
I  see  thee  yet,  in  form  as  palpable 
As  this  which  now  I   draw. 


Thou  marshall'st  me  the  way  that  I  was  going  ; 

And  such  an  instrument  I  was  to  use. 

Mine  eyes  are  made  the  fools  o'  the  other  senses, 

Or  else  worth  all  the  rest :  I  see  thee  still ; 

And  on  thy  blade  and  dudgeon  gouts  of  blood, 

Which  was  not  so  before.  —  There's  no  such  thing : 

It  is  the  bloody  business  which  informs 

Thus  to  mine  eyes.  —  Now  o'er  the  one  half  world 

Nature  seems  dead,  and  wicked  dreams  abuse 

The  curtain'd  sleep  ;  now  witchcraft  celebrates 

Pale  Hecate's  offerings  ;  and  wither'd  murder, 

Alarum'd  by  his  sentinel,  the  wolf, 

Whose  howl's  his  watch,  thus  with  his  stealthy  pace, 

With  Tarquin's  ravishing  strides,  towards  his  design 

Moves  like  a  ghost.  —  Thou  sure  and  firm  set  earth, 

Hear  not  my  steps  which  way  they  walk,  for  fear 

Thy  very  stones  prate  of  my  whereabout, 

And  take  the  present  horror  from  the  time, 

Which  now  suits  with  it.     Whiles  I  threat,  he  lives  : 

Words  to  the  heat  of  deeds  too  cold  breath  gives. 

\A  bell  rings. 


NASAL    QUALITY.  IO/ 

I  go,  and  it  is  done  ;   the  bell  invites  me. — • 
Hear  it  not,  Duncan  ;  for  it  is  a  knell 
That  summons  thee  to  Heaven  or  to  Hell. 

Shakespeare. 


SECTION   VII.  —  NASAL   QUALITY. 

I.    DEFINITION  AND  USE. 

The  Nasal  (from  nasus,  the  nose)  is  an  impure,  twanging 
Quality  with  the  resonance  in  the  front  nasal  cavities. 

The  student  should  distinguish  between  the  Nasal  Quality 
and  a  mere  obstruction  of  the  nasal  passages.     The  Nasal 
may  be  produced  by  forcing  the  air  through  the  nose  as  well 
as   by   lessening   the   due    proportion    which    should   pass 
through.     It  is  made  by  lowering  the  soft  palate,  and  pro- 
jecting the  column  of  vocalized  air  at  such  an  angle  that  it 
passes  beyond  the  posterior  nasal  cavities,  enters  the  nostrils 
and  finds  its  re-inforcing  vibrations  in  the  front  nasal  cavi- 
ties.    The  Nasal  belongs  to  the  Vital  division.     It  is  due 
primarily  to  defects  in  the  size  or  shape,  or  to  the  diseased 
condition   of    the    nasal   cavities,    and   secondarily   to   the 
imitation  of  these  defects,  and  the  careless  habits  of  speech 
superinduced  by  a  spirit  of  drollery  or  burlesque.     When 
wrongly  used  and  allowed  to  tinge  the  other  Qualities  with 
its  physical  impurities  it  becomes  one  of  the  most  disagree- 
able defects  in  Quality.     As  an   acquired  fault  it  may  be 
cured  by  any  exercise  that  will  enlarge  the  nasal  cavities, 
and  establish  the  habit  of  forcing  the  vocal  stream  at  the 
proper  angle  and  in  the  right  proportion  through  the  nose. 
We  hear  the  Nasal  in  the  lazy  call  of  the  street  peddler, 
in  the  wheezing  tones  of  an  imperfect  bag-pipe,  and  in  the 
discordant  braying  of  the  donkey;  these  give  the  impression 
of  a  lack  of   exerted   vitality,  and  the   comical    situations 
arising  therefrom  awaken  in  us  a  sense  of   the  droll  and 


108  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

ludicrous.  The  Nasal  in  Elocution  is  used  in  an  imper- 
sonative  sense  to  express  lazituss,  mimicry,  burlesque,  drollery, 
irony,  sneer,  etc. 

II.    ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS. 

From  DUG  HEHRY  IV.— Part  First.     Act  II,  Scene  4. 

Prince.  What  trick,  what  device,  what  starting-hole,  canst 
thou  now  find  out  to  hide  thee  from  this  open  and  apparent 
shame  ? 

Pointz.     Come,  let's  hear,  Jack;  what  trick  hast  thou  now? 

Falstaff.  By  the  Lord,  I  knew  ye  as  well  as  he  that  made  ye. 
Why,  hear  ye,  my  masters:  Was  it  for  me  to  kill  the  heir-apparent? 
Should  I  turn  upon  the  true  Prince  ?  —  Shakespeare. 

From  DARIUS  GREEN  AND  HIS  FLYIlfG-MACHIHE. 

"  The  birds  can  fly,  an'  why  can't  I  ? 

Must  we  give  in,"  says  he  with  a  grin, 

"  That  the  bluebird  an'  phcebe  are  smarter'n  we  be  ? 

Jest  fold  our  hands,  an'  see  the  swaller, 

An'  blackbird  an'  catbird  beat  us  holler  ? 

Does  the  little  chatterin',  sassy  wren, 

No  bigge'rn  my  thumb,  know  more  than  men  ? 

Jest  show  me  that  !  ur  prove  't  the  bat 

Hez  got  more  brains  than's  in  my  hat, 

An'  I'll  back  down,  an'  not  till  then  !" 

He  argued  further  :  "  Nur  I  can't  see 

What's  th'  use  o'  wings  to  a  bumble-bee, 

Fur  to  git  a  livin'  with,  more'n  to  me  ;  — 

Ain't  my  business  important's  his'n  is  ? 

That  Icarus  made  a  pretty  muss, — 

Him  an'  his  daddy  Daedalus  ; 

They  might  'a'  know'd  that  wings  made  o'  wax 

Wouldn't  stand  sun-heat  an'  hard  whacks  : 

I'll  make  mine  o'  luther,  ur  suthin'  ur  other." 

And  he  said  to  himself,  as  he  tinker'd  and  plann'd, 


FALSETTO    QUALITY.  IOQ 

"  But  I  ain't  goin'  to  show  my  hand 
To  nummies  that  never  can  understand 
The  fust  idee  that's  big  an'  grand." 

Trowbridge. 


SECTION   VIII.— FALSETTO    QUALITY. 

I.    DEFINITION  AND  USE. 

The  Falsetto  (from  falsus,  false)  is  a  pure,  shrill,  pene- 
trating Quality  ranging  above  the  ordinary  Pitch,  with 
the  resonance  in  the  upper  part  of  the  pharynx.  It  is 

literally  the  false  voice,  "beginning,"  Dr.  Rush  states,  "where 
the  natural  voice  breaks,  or  out-runs  its  compass  ; "  yet  in 
Pitch  it  overlaps  and  ranges  lower  than  the  highest  notes 
of  the  ordinary  compass. 

Much  has  been  written  from  the  singer's  standpoint, 
regarding  the  position  and  action  of  the  vocal  organs  in 
the  production  of  this  Quality ;  but  for  the  purposes  of 
speech  perhaps  it  is  sufficient  to  know  that  the  uvula  and 
soft  palate  are  raised,  the  tonsils  are  drawn  more  closely 
together,  the  vibrations  of  the  true  vocal  cords  are  regular 
and  even  and  limited  to  their  thin  edges  only  and  to  a 
small  portion  of  their  length,  and  the  sound  is  so  projected 
that  the  re-inforcing  vibrations  are  confined  to  the  upper 
part  of  the  pharynx. 

The  habit  of  allowing  other  Qualities  to  break  into  the 
Falsetto  is  a  serious  fault  which  should  be  corrected  by 
vocal  culture  guided  by  correct  knowledge  of  the  right  use 
and  the  abuse  of  this  Quality. 

Illustrations  of  the  Falsetto  may  be  heard  in  the  scream 
of  a  frightened  child,  the  cry  of  a  whipped  dog,  or  the 
excited  cheer  of  a  political  party.  This  Quality  plainly 
belongs  to  the  Vital  division,  and  is  used  to  express 
any  condition  of  excitability  which  overcomes  the  free  vi- 


IIO  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

bration  of  the  whole  length  of  the  vocal  cords,  such  as 
great  excitement,  fright,  yelling,  screaming  or  excessive  emphasis. 
It  is  also  used  in  various  kinds  of  calling. 

II.    ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS. 

From  HOW  WE  HUNTED  A  MOUSE. 

I  was  dozing  comfortably  in  my  easy  chair,  and  dreaming  of 
the  good  times  which  I  hope  are  coming,  when  there  fell  upon 
my  ear  a  most  startling  scream.  It  was  the  voice  of  my  ftfaria 
Ann.  The  voice  came  from  the  kitchen,  and  to  the  kitchen  I 
rushed.  The  idolized  form  of  my  Maria  was  perched  upon  a 
chair,  and  she  was  flourishing  an  iron  spoon  in  all  directions,  and 
shouting  "  shoo  "  in  a  general  manner  at  everything  in  the  room. 
To  my  anxious  inquiries  as  to  what  was  the  matter,  she  screamed, 
"O!  Joshua,  a  mouse,  shoo  —  shoo  — ,  a  great,  horrid  mouse, 
and  she  —  ew,  it  ran  right  out  of  the  cupboard  —  shoo  —  go 
away — O,  Joshua  —  shoo  —  kill  it,  oh,  my  —  shoo!" — Joshua 
Jenkins. 

From  JIMMY  BUTLER  AlfD  THE  OWL. 

Just  then  I  heard  somebody  a  long  way  off  say,  "  Whip  poor 
Will ! "  "Bedad,"  sez  I,  "I'm  glad  it  isn't  Jamie  that's  got  to 
take  it,  though  it  seems  it's  more  in  sorrow  than  in  anger  they 
are  doin'  it,  or  why  should  they  say,  *  poor  Will '  ?  an'  sure  they 
can't  be  Injun,  haythin,  or  naygur,  for  it's  plain  English  they're 
afther  spakin'.  Maybe  they  might  help  me  out  o'  this,"  so  I 
shouted  at  the  top  of  me  voice,  "  A  lost  man  ! "  Thin  I  listened. 
Prisently  an  answer  came. 

"Who  !     Whoo  !     Whooo  !  " 

"Jamie  Butler,  the  waiver!"  sez  I,  as  loud  as  I  could  roar, 
an',  snatchin'  up  me  bundle  an'  stick,  I  started  in  the  direction 
of  the  voice.  WThin  I  thought  I  had  got  near  the  place,  I  stopped 
an'  shouted  again,  "  A  lost  man  ! " 


THE  VOCAL  CULTURE  OF  QUALITY.        Ill 

"  Who  !     Whoo  !     Whooo  ! "  said  a  voice  right  over  my  head. 

"Sure,"  thinks  I,  "it's  a  mighty  quare  place  for  a  man  to  be 
at  this  time  of  night ;  maybe  it's  some  settler  scrapin'  sugar  off 
a  sugar-bush  for  the  children's  breakfast  in  the  mornin'.  But 
where's  Will  and  the  rest  of  them  ?  "  All  this  wint  through  me 
head  like  a  flash,  an'  thin  I  answered  his  inquiry. 

"Jamie  Butler,  the  waiver,"  sez  I,  "an',  if  it  wouldn't  incon- 
vanience  yer  Honour,  would  yez  be  kind  enough  to  step  down  an' 
show  me  the  way  to  the  house  of  Dennis  O'Dowd  ?  " 

"  Who!     Whoo!     Whooo  ! "  sez  he. 

"Dennis  O'Dowd,"  sez  I,  civil  enough,  "an'  a  dacent  man  he 
is,  and  first  cousin  to  me  own  mother." 

"  Who  !     Whoo  !     Whooo  !  "  says  he  again. 

"Me  mother!"  sez  I,  "an'  as  fine  a  woman  as  iver  peeled  a 
biled  pratie  wid  her  thumb  nail,  an'  her  maiden  name  was  Molly 
McFiggin." 

"Who!     Whoo!     Whooo!" 

"  Paddy  McFiggin  ! "  bad  luck  to  yer  deaf  ould  head,  Paddy 
McFiggin,  I  say,  —  do  ye  hear  that?" — Anon. 


SECTION   IX.  — VOCAL   CULTURE   OF   QUALITY. 

The  best  way  to  acquire  or  cultivate  a  good  Quality  of 
voice  is  to'  practice  in  all  the  Qualities,  giving  to  each  that 
proportion  of  time  most  suitable  to  the  individual  needs  of 
the  student.  This  proportion  should  be  made  by  careful 
test  and  observation  on  the  part  of  both  teacher  and  student. 
Arrange  and  give  sounds,  words,  and  appropriate  sentences 
in  each  of  the  Qualities,  the  whole  exercise  to  consume 
ten  or  fifteen  minutes  each  day  until  all  can  be  given  with 
perfect  ease  ;  then  increase  the  length  of  time  to  twenty  or 
thirty  minutes  a  day,  retaining  the  proper  proportion  of  time 


I  I  2  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

allotted  to  each  Quality.  The  object  is  to  accustom  the  ear 
to  these  Qualities,  to  train  the  voice  to  execute  them  at 
will,  and  to  acquire  purity  of  tone  which  we  have  ranked 
as  the  first  requisite  of  a  good  voice  (p.  38). 


CHAPTER   II.  — FORCE. 

In  mechanical  science  Force  is  that  which  "  produces  or 
can  produce  motion."  As  a  generic  element  in  Elocution 
it  is  the  power  or  energy  with  which  sound  waves  are 
sent  forth  from  the  vocal  organs.  In  its  technical  sense 
it  must  not  be  confounded  with  loudness.  Loudness  is  strong 
Force  plus  vibration. 

Figuratively  speaking  Force  is  the  exploding  powder  back  of 
the  ball,  and  Loudness  is  the  momentum  of  the  ball.  We  may 
give  a  great  deal  of  Force  or  energy  to  a  sound  without  producing 
much  loudness.  For  instance,  strong  Force  with  Aspirate  Quality 
will  not  be  heard  very  far,  while  ordinary  Force  with  a  clear 
Normal  Quality  would  fill  a  large  auditorium. 

Force  has  been  treated  usually  from  the  standpoint  of 
degree  only.  We  will  consider  the  subject  as  an  energy 
within  the  Psychic  Being  impelled  by  the  three-fold  nature, 
and  manifesting  itself  in  three  corresponding  directions, 
namely:  i.  Form,  2.  Degree,  and 3.  Stress. 

I.     ANALOGY   WITH    THE    TRIUNE    NATURE. 

I.  Form  is  the  manner  of  exerting  Force.     It  belongs 
chiefly   to    the    Emotive    nature  and  reveals  the  sentiment 
or  emotion  implied.      The  simple  utterance  of   words  will 
convey  thought,  but  the  manner  or  Form  shows  the  feeling 
accompanying  the  words. 

II.  Degree  relates  to  the  measure  of  the  power  with 
which  Force  is  exerted  and  is  dependent  upon  the  amount 
of  vitality  expended  in  a  given  utterance.    A  very  loud  Degree 
of  Force  can  not  come  from  a  speaker  of  very  low  physical 
vitality.     Degree,  then,  plainly  belongs  to  the  Vital  division. 

113 


114  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

III.  Stress  is  the  location  of  Force  upon  certain  parts 
of  the  sound  or  word,  by  which  the  special  significance  or 
meaning  is  made  known.  It  is  one  of  the  active  agents  by 
which  voice  is  articulated  or  modulated  into  speech,  reveal- 
ing largely  the  activities  of  the  mind.  It  therefore  corre- 
sponds to  the  Mental  nature. 

The  above  analogies  may  be  represented  by  the  following 
diagram  :  — 

^JII.  EMOTIVB  ____________  Form.^ 


-r    .  ______  I.  VITAL  ___________  .Degree  ____       -T 

(as  a  Psychic-^  ^''Xa  generic  vo- 

Being)          ""'--.11.  MENTAL.  ___________  Stress,-''  cal  element) 

This  general  classification  will  be  further  explained  in  the 
fuller  treatment  which  follows. 


SECTION    I.  — FORM. 

We  have  seen  that  Form  is  the  manner  or  mode  in 
which  Force  is  exerted.  It  relates  to  the  smoothness  or 
abruptness  with  which  a  sound  or  syllable  is  begun  or 
ended.  There  are  but  three  Forms  heard  in  Nature, 
namely  :  i,  Effusive ;  2,  Expulsive ;  and  3,  Explosive. 

The  three  Forms  may  be  represented  to  the  eye  by  the 
following  illustrations  :  — 

Effusive      <^^- 


FORM 


Expulsive 


Explosive     | 

The  above  figures  simply  illustrate  the  opening  and 
closing  of  sounds  regardless  of  their  use  as  speech  notes. 
To  further  illustrate  Form  it  becomes  necessary  at  this 
point  to  explain  briefly  and  illustrate  the  song-notes  and 
speech-notes  with  which  the  Forms  are  used  in  expression. 


FORM. 


A  Note  of  Song  begins,  continues,  and  ends  on  the  same 
plane  of  Pitch  ;  a  Note  of  Speech  includes  more  than  one 
Degree  of  Pitch  and  runs  from  a  lower  to  a  higher,  or  from 
a  higher  to  a  lower  plane.  This  subject  will  be  fully  treated 
in  a  subsequent  chapter  on  Pitch  ;  the  following  illustrative 
diagram  will  serve  our  present  purpose. 


FORM 


Effusive 


Expulsive 


Explosive 


t> 


Note  of  Song. 
"     "  Speech. 

"     "   Song. 
"     "  Speech. 

"     "  Song. 
"     "  Speech. 


In  the  above  figure  no  attempt  is  made  to  illustrate  the  great 
variety  of  notes  used  in  speech.  Much  of  the  so-called  "sing- 
song "  style  of  reading  and  speaking  is  due  to  the  use  of  song- 
notes  instead  of  speech-notes.  The  student  should  practice  on 
each  until  he  can  easily  distinguish  between  them. 

We  have  seen  that  Form  is  a  specific  division  of  the 
generic  vocal  element,  Force.  The  above  diagrams  show 
its  further  subdivision  into  three  kinds  ;  if  this  subdivision 
is  correct  these  three  kinds  must  prove  to  be  active  agents 
in  expression,  corresponding  to  man's  three-fold  nature. 
Let  us  define  the  three  Forms  and  consider  the  analogies  in 
the  following  diagram  :  — 


^__ 

Psychic-  ^ 
Being) 


III.  EMOTIVE Effusive, 

II.  MENTAL Expulsive 

- I.  VITAL.-  Explosive.. 


_^  FORM 
-('a'specific  vo- 
cal element) 


Il6  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


I.    THE  EFFUSIVE. 

The  Effusive  is  that  Form  of  voice  in  which  Force 
is  applied  smoothly  and  evenly  so  that  the  sound  flows 
forth  gently  and  without  abruptness  either  in  the  opening 
or  closing  of  the  sound.  It  is  heard  in  nature  in  the 
plaintive  notes  of  the  dove,  the  moaning  wind,  and  the  roar 
of  the  cataract,  each  of  which  inspires  in  us  correspondingly 
depressed  or  solemn  emotions.  The  mournful  howl  of  a 
dog,  the  moan  of  a  child,  the  groan  of  a  man  in  sorrow,  are 
all  in  the  Effusive  Form.  In  all  these  cases  the  Emotive 
nature  is  stirred  beyond  the  Mental  or  Vital  natures.  The 
Effusive  Form,  then,  is  the  especial  agent  of  the  Emotive 
nature  and  is  employed  to  express  the  gentler  and  more 
solemn  emotions,  such  as  pathos,  reverence,  feebleness,  sup- 
pressed fear,  awe,  etc. 

II.   THE  EXPULSIVE. 

The  Expulsive  is  that  Form  in  which  Force  is  ap- 
plied abruptly  and  quickly  so  that  the  sound  rushes 
forth  from  the  vocal  organs.  It  is  heard  in  the  babbling 
brook,  the  chatter  of  birds,  the  prattle  of  children,  and  in 
the  ordinary  unemotional  conversation  of  all  peoples  in  all 
languages.  This  Form  escapes  the  Effusive  on  the  one  hand, 
expressing  emotion,  and  the  Explosive  on  the  other,  express- 
ing vitality  or  excitability.  It  occupies  the  middle  ground 
between  the  two  extremes  of  Form,  and  it  must  be  used  to 
express  man's  ordinary  thoughts  when  he  is  unmoved  by 
emotion  or  excitability.  The  Expulsive,  then,  corresponds 
to  the  Mental  nature,  and  is  used  to  express  those  opera- 
tions of  the  mind  which  result  from  the  perception,  memory, 
reason,  or  imagination  —  such  as  narration,  didactic  thought, 
gladness,  patriotism,  etc. 


FORM.  II/ 

III.   THE  EXPLOSIVE. 

The  Explosive  is  that  Form  in  which  Force  is  ex- 
erted instantaneously,  causing  the  sound  to  burst  forth 
very  abruptly.  It  is  produced  by  forcing  the  breath  into 
the  vocal  cavities,  checking  it  briefly  by  whatever  closure  of 
organs  the  sound  requires,  and  then  by  a  sudden  opening  of 
the  organs  and  action  of  the  expiratory  muscles  the  sound 
bursts  forth.  It  is  heard  in  the  sudden  peal  of  thunder,  the 
report  of  a  gun,  the  crack  of  a  whip,  the  stroke  of  a  hammer, 
the  clapping  of  hands,  and  the  piercing  laughter  of  children, 
—  all  of  which  imply  strong  vitality  and  excitability.  The 
physical  conditions  necessary  to  the  production  of  this  Form 
show  its  intense  vitality.  The  Explosive  evidently  belongs 
to  the  Vital  division  and  is  used  to  express  those  intense 
emotions  and  passions  in  which  great  physical  vitality  is 
aroused,  such  as  the  excitement  of  great  earnestness,  joy, 
defiance,  alarm,  anger,  etc. 

It  should  be  noted,  however,  that  in  the  Explosive  Form 
the  Emotive  nature  follows  closely  upon  the  Vital.  In  fact, 
the  student,  at  first  thought,  might  assign  this  Form  to  the 
Emotive  division  ;  but  a  closer  analysis  shows  that  while  the 
Emotive  is  prominent,  as  in  all  the  above  cases,  the  Vital 
leads.  Defiance  and  alarm  are  intensely  Emotive,  but  their 
expression  would  be  tame  or  even  false  without  the  vitality 
of  the  Explosive  Form.  The  varying  proportions  of  emotion 
and  vitality  in  this  Form  will  depend  upon  the  exact  shading 
of  the  particular  sentiment  to  be  expressed.  For  instance, 
in  defiance  the  Vital  is  evidently  far  more  prominent  than  the 
Emotive  ;  while  in  joy  or  rapture  the  Emotive  almost  equals 
the  Vital.  If  joy  is  ecstatic  and  of  a  pathetic  or  reverential 
nature,  the  Emotive  will  over-ride  the  Vital  and  throw  the 
expression  into  the  Effusive  Form.  This  may  be  illustrated 
by  the  ecstatic  pathos  of  "  Romeo  and  Juliet,"  or  by  many 
of  the  sublime,  ecstatic  "Psalms  of  David." 


Il8  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


IV.    RELATIVE  VALUES  OF  THE  THREE  NATURES  IN  THE 
FORMS. 

In  accordance  with  the  preceding  discussions  the  relative 
proportions  in  which  the  three  natures  are  represented  in 
each  of  the  three  Forms  may  be  shown  by  the  order  and 
approximate  numerical  values  in  the  following  diagram  :  — 

f  EFFUSIVE  :  Emotive  50,  Mental  30,  Vital  20  =  100. 
FORM.  ^   EXPULSIVE  :  Mental  50,  Vital  30,  Emotive  20  —  100. 
[  EXPLOSIVE:  Vital  50,  Emotive  40,  Mental  10  =  100. 

The  sum  of  values  in  each  division  gives  the  Emotive  no 
(=  first),  the  Vital  100  (=  second),  and  the  Mental  90 
(=  third).  Thus,  broadly  speaking,  the  Emotive  leads, 
hence  our  classification  of  Form  as  an  Emotive  Element 
(p.  1 1 6). 

V.    ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS. 

In  the  following  selections  it  must  not  be  understood  that 
the  particular  Form  illustrated  must  be  given  throughout, 
or  even  upon  all  the  words  of  the  particular  parts  which 
embody  the  sentiments  under  consideration.  A  few  words 
or  sentences  given  in  the  Effusive  Form  may  give  an 
Emotive  cast  to  an  entire  selection  ;  while  a  very  few 
words  in  the  Explosive  are  sufficient  to  express  the  vitality 
cr  excitement  of  the  illustration.  The  expression  must 
depend  upon  the  sentiment  which,  in  turn,  depends  upon 
the  words  ;  the  selection  of  these  words  is  left  largely  to 
the  judgment  of  the  teacher  or  student,  though  in  some 
cases  we  have  underscored  words  to  secure  a  more  definite 
application  of  the  principle. 

I.   Effusive  Form. 

THE  ISLE  OF  LONG  AGO. 

O  a  wonderful  stream  is  the  river  Time, 
As  it  runs  through  the  realm  of  tears, 


FORM.  119 

With  a  faultless  rhythm  and  a  musical  rhyme, 
And  a  boundless  sweep  and  a  surge  sublime, 
As  it  blends  with  the  Ocean  of  Years. 

How  the  Winters  are  drifting,  like  flakes  of  snow, 

And  the  Summers  like  buds  between, 
And  the  year  in  the  sheaf  ;  so  they  come  and  they  go, 
On  the  river's  breast,  with  its  ebb  and  flow, 

As  it  glides  in  the  shadow  and  sheen. 

There's  a  magical  isle  up  the  river  Time, 

Where  the  softest  of  airs  are  playing  ; 
There's  a  cloudless  sky  and  a  tropical  clime, 
And  a  song  as  sweet  as  a  vesper  chime, 

And  the  Junes  with  the  roses  are  straying. 

And  the  name  of  that  Isle  is  the  Long  Ago, 

And  we  bury  our  treasures  there  ; 
There  are  brows  of  beauty  and  bosoms  of  snow  ; 
There  are  heaps  of  dust,  —  but  we  loved  them  so  ! 

There  are  trinkets  and  tresses  of  hair  ; 

There  are  fragments  of  song  that  nobody  sings, 

And  a  part  of  an  infant's  prayer  ; 
There's  a  lute  unswept,  and  a  harp  without  strings  ; 
There  are  broken  vows  and  pieces  of  rings, 

And  the  garments  that  she  used  to  wear. 

There  are  hands  that  are  waved  when  the  fairy  shore 

By  the  mirage  is  lifted  in  air  ; 

And  we  sometimes  hear  through  the  turbulent  roar 
Sweet  voices  we  heard  in  the  days  gone  before, 

When  the  wind  down  the  river  is  fair. 

O,  remember'd  for  aye  be  the  blessed  Isle, 

All  the  day  of  our  life  until  night ; 
When  the  evening  comes  with  its  beautiful  smile, 
And  our  eyes  are  closing  to  slumber  awhile, 

May  that  Greenwood  of  Soul  be  in  sight ! 

Benj.  F.  Taylor. 


I2O  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


2.    Expulsive  Form. 

From  DOMBEY  AND  SON. 

Paul  Dombey  had  never  risen  from  his  little  bed.  He  lay  there 
listening  to  the  noises  in  the  street,  quite  tranquilly;  not  caring 
much  how  the  time  went,  but  watching  it  and  everything  about 
.him  with  absorbing  eyes. 

When  the  sunbeams  struck  into  his  room  through  the  rustling 
blinds  and  quivered  on  the  opposite  wall  like  golden  water,  he 
knew  that  evening  was  coming  on,  and  that  the  sky  was  red  and 
beautiful.  As  the  reflection  died  away,  and  a  gloom  went  creep- 
ing up  the  wall,  he  watched  it  deepen,  deepen  into  night.  Then 
he  thought  how  the  long  streets  were  dotted  with  lamps,  and  how 
the  joyful  stars  were  shining  over  head.  His  fancy  had  a  strange 
tending  to  wander  to  the  river,  which  he  knew  was  flowing  through 
the  great  city;  and  now  he  thought  how  black  it  was,  and  now 
how  deep  it  would  look,  reflecting  the  hosts  of  stars  —  and  more 
than  all,  how  steadily  it  rolled  away  to  meet  the  sea.  —  Dickens. 

From  HAMLET.     Act  III,  Scene  2. 

Hamlet.  Speak  the  speech,  I  pray  you,  as  I  pronounced  it  to 
you,  trippingly  on  the  tongue  :  but,  if  you  mouth  it,  as  many  of 
our  players  do,  I  had  as  lief  the  town-crier  spoke  my  lines.  Nor 
do  not  saw  the  air  too  much  with  your  hand,  thus  ;  but  use  all 
gently  :  for  in  the  very  torrent,  tempest,  and,  as  I  may  say,  whirl- 
wind of  your  passion,  you  must  acquire  and  beget  a  temperance, 
that  may  give  it  smoothness.  O,  it  offends  me  to  the  soul  to 
hear  a  robustious  periwig-pated  fellow  tear  a  passion  to  tatters, 
to  very  rags,  to  split  the  ears  of  the  groundlings  ;  who,  for  the 
most  part,  are  capable  of  nothing  but  inexplicable  dumb-shows 
and  noise  :  I  would  have  such  a  fellow  whipped  for  o'er-doing 
Termagant ;  it  out-herods  Herod  :  pray  you,  avoid  it. 

i  Player.     I  warrant  your  Honor. 

Hamlet.  Be  not  too  tame  neither,  but  let  your  own  discretion 
be  your  tutor  :  suit  the  action  to  the  word,  the  word  to  the  action  ; 
with  this  special  observance,  that  you  o'erstep  not  the  modesty 
of  nature  :  for  any  thing  so  overdone  is  from  the  purpose  of 


FORM.  121 

playing,  whose  end,  both  at  first  and  now,  was  and  is,  to  hold, 
as  'twere,  the  mirror  up  to  Nature;  to  show  virtue  her  own  feature, 
scorn  her  own  image,  and  the  very  age  and  body  of  the  time  his 
form  and  pressure.  Now,  this  overdone,  or  come  tardy  of, 
though  it  make  the  unskilful  laugh,  cannot  but  make  the  judicious 
grieve ;  the  censure  of  the  which  one  must,  in  your  allowance,  o'er- 
weigh  a  whole  theatre  of  others.  O,  there  be  players  that  I  have 
seen  play,  and  heard  others  praise,  and  that  highly,  not  to  speak 
it  profanely,  that,  neither  having  the  accent  of  Christians  nor  the 
gait  of  -Christian,  pagan,  nor  Turk,  have  so  strutted  and  bellowed, 
that  I. have  thought  some  of  Nature's  journeymen  had  made  them 
and  not  made  them  well,  they  imitated  humanity  so  abominably. 

i  Player.  I  hope  we  have  reformed  that  indifferently  with 
us,  sir. 

Hamlet.  O,  reform  it  altogether.  And  let  those  that  play  your 
Clowns  speak  no  more  than  is  set  down  for  them  :  for  there  be 
of  them  that  will  themselves  laugh,  to  set  on  some  quantity  of 
barren  spectators  to  laugh  too  ;  though,  in  the  meantime,  some 
necessary  question  of  the  play  be  then  to  be  considered  :  that's 
villainous,  and  shows  a  most  pitiful  ambition  in  the  Fool  that  uses 
it.  Go,  make  you  ready.  —  Shakespeare. 

3.    Explosive  Form. 

From  BEN-HUR. 

"  Messala  hath  reached  his  utmost  speed.  See  him  lean  over 
his  chariot-rim,  the  reins  as  loose  as  flying  ribbons.  Look  then 
at  the  Jew  !  He  throws  all  his  weight  on  the  bits  !  I  see,  I  see  ! 
If  the  gods  help  not  our  friend,  he  will  be  run  away  with  by  the 
Israelite.  No,  not  yet !  Look  !  Jove  with  us,  Jove  with  us  !  " 

The  cry,  swelled  by  every  Latin  tongue,  shook  the  velaria  over 
the  consul's  head.  —  Lew  Wallace. 

From  ZIHGARILLA. 

"  Where  shall  I  flee  ? 
Back,  down  !     Sic  !     Upon  them  Zhock  1 


122  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

Yonder  Zhock,  down  by  the  "Sea. 
Zhock,  how  dare  you  !     Peace,  Zhock  ! 
I  am  wild  Zingarilla,  thy  mistress, 
Down  !  back  !   away  !  down  !  down  ! 
I  feel  his  thorny  claws  around  my  neck, 
His  hot  breath  in  my  throat." 

E.  L.  McDowell. 

From  THE  BELLS. 

Hear  the  loud  alarum  bells,  —  brazen  bells! 
What  a  tale  of  terror,  now,  their  turbulency  tells! 
In  the  startled  ear  of  night 
How  they  scream  out  their  affright! 
Too  much  horrified  to  speak, 
They  can  only  shriek,  shriek, 

Out  of  tune, 

In  a  clamourous  appealing  to  the  mercy  of  the  fire, 
In  a  mad  expostulation  with  the  deaf  and  frantic  fire 
Leaping  higher,  higher,  higher, 
With  a  desperate  desire, 
And  a  resolute  endeavor 
Now  —  now  to  sit  or  never 
By  the  side  of  the  pale-faced  moon. 
O,  the  bells,  bells,  bells! 
What  a  tale  their  terror  tells 

Of  despair! 

How  they  clang,  and  clash,  and  roar! 
What  a  horror  they  outpour 
On  the  bosom  of  the  palpitating  air! 

Yet  the  ear,  it  fully  knows, 
By  the  twanging  and  the    clanging, 

How  the  danger  ebbs  and  flows; 


FORM.  123 

Yet  the  ear  distinctly  tells, 
In  the  jangling  and  the  wrangling, 
How  the  danger  sinks  and  swells, 
By  the  sinking  or  the  swelling  in  the  anger  of  the  bells,  — 

Of  the  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells,  — 
In  the  clamour  and  the  clangour  of  the  bells! 

Poe. 

VI.   VOCAL  EXERCISES  IN  THE  FORMS. 

1.  For  Effusive.     Give  the   continuant  sounds    (p.  46) 
and   indefinite  syllables  and  words  (p.  65)  in  the  Effusive 
Form  with  notes  of  song  and  notes  of  speech  (p.  115). 

2.  For  Expulsive.     Give  the  vowels  and  any  syllables 
and  words  in  the  Expulsive  Form  with  notes  of  song  and 
notes  of  speech. 

3.  For  Explosive.     Give  words  beginning  with  the  sub- 
tonics  b,  d,  and  g,  the  atonies  p,  t,   and  k,  and  all  the 
tonics  (p.  45)  in  Explosive  Form  with   notes   of  song  and 
notes  of  speech.      The  breath  should  be  forced  into  the 
cavities,  checked  for  a  moment  by  the  closure  of  the  organs 
which  are  then  thrown  open  suddenly  producing  the  Explo- 
sive.    In  the  sounds  b  and  p,  this  stoppage  is  made  by  the 
closure  of  the  lips  ;    in  d  and  t,  by  the  pressure   of   the 
tongue  against  the  front  part  of  the  roof  of  the  mouth  ;    in 
g  and  k,  by  the  contact  of  the  back  part  of  the  tongue  and 
the  soft  palate  ;  and  in  the  tonics  by  the  occlusion  of  the 
superior  (or  false)  vocal  cords. 

VII.   COMBINATION  OF  QUALITY  AND  FORM. 

We  have  now  progressed  far  enough  to  make  a  combina- 
tion which  will  show  more  definitely  the  kinds  of  thought 
and  emotion  expressed  by  the  elements  thus-far  considered. 

Because  of  its  importance  we  sometimes  call  the  follow- 
ing diagram, 


124 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


I.    »  The  Multiplication  Table  of  Expression." 

f  Solemnity 


The  Normal  Quality  < 
combined  with 


EFFUSIVE  FORM  EXPRESSES 


EXPULSIVE 


EXPLOSIVE 


Tranquillity 
L  Pathos. 

f  Ordinary  Conversation 
\   Didactic  Thought 
t  Gladness. 

C  Gaiety,  Joy 
•{    Laughter 
I   Great  Earnestness. 


The  Orotund  Quality  , 
combined  with 


The  Oral  Quality 
combined  with 


The  Aspirate  Quality  x 
combined  with 


EFFUSIVE 


EXPULSIVE 


EXPLOSIVE 


EFFUSIVE 


EXPULSIVE 


EFFUSIVE 


EXPULSIVE 


EXPLOSIVE 


I  Reverence 
4  Sublimity 
^  Devotion. 

j  Grandeur 
•S  Patriotism 
L  Lofty  Oratorical  Thought 

j  Courage 
-I  Defiance 
L  Alarm. 

f  Sickness 
^    Feebleness 
L  Idiocy. 

T  Timidity 
^  Languor 
t  Fatigue. 

j   Suppressed  Fear 
•{   Stillness 
t  Secrecy. 

f  Sudden  Fear 
•S  Stealthiness 
i.  Suppressed  Command 

I    Intense  Fear 
-j  Terror 
I   Consternation. 


The  Guttural  Quality 
combined  with 


EXPULSIVE 


EXPLOSIVE 


j  Impatience 
4  Scorn,  Hate 
^  Revenge. 

f  Violent  Hate 
1   Anger 


QUALITY  AND  FORM  COMBINED.         125 

EKFUSIVK      ••  ««  /  Deepest  Solemnity 

I   Awe  and  Veneration. 

The  Pectoral  Quality 

combined  with       1  (  Dread 

EXPULSIVE    "  "          -s   Amazement 

I  Horror. 

Other  synonymous  words  may  be  used  in  addition  to  the 
three  or  four  given  under  each  combination  ;  we  have 
endeavored  to  give  a  few  representative  kinds  of  thought 
or  emotion  which  will  direct  the  thoughts  of  the  student 
into  the  right  channel.  The  above  table  should  be 
thoroughly  committed  to  memory. 


2.   Proofs  in  Nature  and  Expression. 

Let  us  investigate  more  closely  and  see  if  the  kinds  of 
sentiment  are  correctly  assigned  to  each  combination.  To 
do  this  we  will  trace  each  Quality  through  all  the  Forms 
with  which  it  may  combine. 

(i)  The  Normal  with  its  Forms. 

In  the  Normal  Effusive  we  have  a  Mental  Quality 
combined  with  an  Emotive  Form,  expressing  solemnity, 
tranquillity,  and  pathos.  In  Nature,  solemnity  is  illustrated 
in  the  moaning  wind,  tranquillity  in  the  murmuring  brook, 
and  pathos  in  the  low,  plaintive  notes  of  the  dove  ;  in  all 
these  we  hear  Nature's  Normal  Effusive.  Then  if  we  would 
be  natural  in  the  expression  of  these  sentiments  we  must 
use  the  Normal  Effusive. 

In  the  Normal  Expulsive  we  have  a  Mental  Quality  com- 
bined with  a  Mental  Form  which  must  express  our  purely 
mental  thoughts  such  as  ordinary  conversation,  didactic  thought, 
and  gladness.  This  combination  is  illustrated  in  the  chatter  of 
birds,  the  prattle  of  children,  and  the  common  conversation 
of  all  peoples,  all  of  which  impress  us  with  Mentality  rather 
than  Emotion  or  Vitality. 


126  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

In  the  Normal  Explosive  we  have  a  Mental  Quality  and 
a  Vital  Form  expressing  gaiety,  joy,  mirth,  laughter  and  great 
earnestness,  in  all  of  which  the  Mental  and  Vital  natures 
predominate.  We  hear  this  combination  in  the  clapping 
of  hands,  the  popping  of  fire-crackers,  the  ringing  laughter 
of  children,  and  in  the  merriest  notes  of  singing  birds.  If 
we  obey  nature's  voice  in  the  expression  of  these  sentiments 
we  must  evidently  employ  the  vocal  elements  herein  pre- 
scribed. 

(2)   The  Orotund  with  its  Forms. 

Our  diagram  shows  that  the  Orotund  Quality  responds 
about  equally  to  the  Mental  and  Vital  natures.  Com- 
bined with  the  Effusive,  which  is  an  Emotive  Form,  we  have 
all  three  of  the  natures  represented  in  reverence,  sublimity 
and  devotion,  which  in  turn  may  be  illustrated  respect- 
ively by  the  low,  deep  tones  of  the  pipe-organ,  the  roar  of 
Niagara  Falls,  and  the  solemn  utterances  of  church  worship. 
In  the  presence  of  Niagara  Falls  our  Mental  nature  is 
active  as  we  think  of  the  geological  conditions  producing 
this  great  work  of  Nature  ;  our  Emotive  nature  is  stirred  as 
we  listen  to  the  sublime  roar  of  this  never  ceasing  voice  of 
nature  ;  and  the  mighty  forces  of  this  great  torrent  impress 
us  with  their  wonderful  power.  It  is  also  a  significant  fact 
that  the  elements  which  express  reverence,  devotion,  or  prayer 
represent  all  three  of  our  natures. 

Man  can  hide  nothing  from  his  Creator.  However,  conceptions 
of  worship  differ.  Under  one  conception  the  Vital  leads,  and  the 
body  suffers  in  sack-cloth  and  ashes,  or  writhes  under  the  self- 
imposed  tortures  of  the  savage  ;  under  another,  the  Emotive 
leads,  and  tears  and  sobs  choke  the  utterance,  or  shouts  of  joy 
and  triumph  proclaim  the  soul's  emotion  ;  while  under  a  third 
conception  Mentality  predominates,  and  man  talks  to  his  God. 
If,  on  the  other  hand,  this  last  conception  goes  so  far  into  Men- 
tality as  to  lose  the  idea  of  reverence,  the  utterance  will  return  to 
simple  Expulsive  Normal. 


QUALITY    AND    FORM    COMBINED.  I2/ 

The  Orotund  combined  with  the  Expulsive  Form  gives 
about  two-thirds  Mentality  and  one-third  Vitality  which  we 
think  will  be  seen  in  the  analysis  of  grandeur,  patriotism,  or 
lofty  oratorical  thought.  We  hear  these  elements  and 
these  sentiments  in  the  grandeur  of  the  mountain  storm, 
in  the  firing  of  the  distant  cannon  on  patriotic  occasions, 
and  in  the  bold  and  lofty  utterances  of  demonstrative  oratory. 

In  the  Orotund  Explosive  we  have  a  Mento-Vital  Quality 
with  a  Vital  Form  expressing  courage,  defiance,  and  alarm. 
These  elements  are  heard  in  the  sudden  clap  of  thunder, 
and  in  the  turbulent  strokes  of  the  alarum  bell.  Certainly 
the  strongest  Quality  combined  with  the  strongest  Form 
will  represent  man  in  his  strongest  condition  ;  that  condition 
is  most  manifest  under  the  influence  of  courage,  defiance,  and 
alarm. 

(3)   The  Oral  with  its  Forms. 

In  nature,  and  in  our  triune  classification,  the  Oral  repre- 
sents the  lowest  state  of  vitality.  Combined  with  the 
Effusive  we  have  the  weakest  Quality  with  the  weakest 
Form  which  must  express  the  weakest  condition  of  the 
body  or  mind,  such  as  sickness,  feebleness,  and  idiocy.  We 
have  this  combination  in  the  feeble  chirp  of  a  sick  bird,  in 
the  weak  voice  of  a  dying  person,  and  in  the  half  articu- 
lated, unmeaning  mutterings  of  an  idiot. 

In  the  Oral  Expulsive  we  have  a  Mental  Form  with  a 
low  degree  of  vitality  expressing  timidity,  embarrassment, 
physical  languor  and  fatigue.  These  elements  are  heard  in 
the  listless  voice  of  a  lazy  person,  the  faltering  utterance  of 
a  timid  child,  or  the  weary,  spiritless  tones  of  a  tired,  over- 
worked person.  Yet  in  all  these  cases  there  is  inherent 
strength  which  is  not  utilized,  while  in  the  Oral  Effusive 
there  is  an  almost  utter  lack  of  strength. 

There  can  be  no  Oral  Explosive  because  the  weakness  of  this 
Quality  will  not  combine  with  the  strength  of  the  Explosive  Form. 


128  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


(4)   The  Aspirate  with  its  Forms. 

The  Aspirate  belongs  to  the  Emotive  division  and  is 
essentially  the  language  of  fear  and  suppression.  In  the 
Effusive  we  have  an  Emotive  Quality  combined  with  an 
Emotive  Form  expressing  suppressed  fear,  stillness,  and 
secrecy ;  people  of  all  languages  whisper  when  they  express 
these  conditions  ;  then  the  whisper  is  a  perfect  illustration 
of  an  Aspirate  Effusive ;  therefore  when  we  utter  these 
sentiments  we  must  use  these  elements. 

In  the  Aspirate  Expulsive  we  have  a  Mental  Form  with 
an  Emotive  Quality  expressing  sudden  fear,  stealthiness,  and 
suppressed  command.  This  combination  may  be  illustrated 
in  a  huntsman's  suppressed  command  to  his  bird-dog  as 
they  approach  the  game.  The  dog  fully  understands  the 
meaning  of  these  elements  and  obeys,  but  let  the  hunter 
speak  in  an  Expulsive  Normal,  and  the  dog,  no  longer  re- 
strained, bounds  away  towards  the  game.  The  stealthy 
conversation  of  sneak-thieves  or  of  "midnight  assassins" 
about  to  do  their  direful  work  would  illustrate  the  Expulsive 
Aspirate. 

The  Aspirate  given  with  the  vitality  of  the  Explosive 
Form  may  be  partially  vocalized,  and  in  this  combination 
we  have  such  intense  Vito-Emotive  sentiments  as  intense 
fear,  terror,  and  consternation.  These  elements  may  be 
heard  whenever  a  crowd  of  persons  receive  a  very  severe 
shock  caused  by  some  calamity  such  as  the  falling  of  a 
building  threatening  imminent  danger.  Macbeth's  words  of 
intense  fear  and  horror  when  he  sees  the  blood-stained 
ghost  of  Banquo  would  be  given  in  the  Aspirate  Explosive. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  word  "fear  "  is  used  in  each  Form 
in  the  Aspirate,  and  that  the  modifying  words  "suppressed" 
"sudden"  and  "intense"  correspond  respectively  to  the  three 
Forms. 


QUALITY  AND  FORM  COMBINED.         129 

(5)   The  Guttural  with  its  Forms. 

We  have  seen  that  the  Guttural  is  the  pivotal  Quality 
upon  which  the  Vital  and  Emotive  natures  turn,  and  that 
it  responds  about  equally  to  each. 

This  Quality  will  not  combine  with  the  Effusive  because  its 
harshness  and  violence  are  out  of  harmony  with  the  gentleness 
and  smoothness  of  that  Form. 

Combined  with  the  Expulsive  which  is  the  mildest  Form 
in  which  this  Quality  could  be  used,  we  have  a  Vito- Emotive 
Quality  with  a  Mental  Form  expressing  impatience,  scorn,  hate, 
and  revenge.  These  elements  are  heard  in  the  angry  growl 
of  a  dog,  or  in  the  harsh  utterance  of  an  angered  person. 
In  this  combination,  as  in  the  Orotund  Effusive,  the  entire 
triune  nature  is  strongly  represented.  So  in  the  opposite 
sentiments,  prayer  and  hate,  we  have  those  extremes  of 
expression  in  which  the  whole  psychic  Being  is  stirred. 

With  different  persons,  however,  the  malignant  emotions  and 
passions  manifest  themselves  through  different  degrees  of  each 
nature  :  With  one  the  Mental  leads,  and  scathing  words  are 
the  weapons  ;  with  another  the  Emotive  predominates  and  angry 
tones  are  the  result ;  and  with  yet  another  the  Vital  leads  and 
blows  follow.  In  all  these  cases  the  Guttural  Expulsive  is  the 
natural  tone-language. 

In  the  Guttural  Explosive  we  have  a  Vito- Emotive 
Quality  with  a  Vital  Form,  i.e.  about  two-thirds  Vital  and 
one-third  Emotive  which  is  an  excellent  analysis  of  violent 
hate,  anger,  and  rage.  We  hear  this  combination  in  the 
growl  of  an  infuriated  tigress,  or  in  the  crash  of  a  violent 
storm.  The  Guttural  Expulsive  of  a  dog  would  express 
his  ordinary  growl,  but  the  Guttural  Explosive  would  show 
his  violent  burst  of  rage.  A  Shylock  would  express  hatred, 
or  a  Sir  Peter  and  Lady  Teazle  quarrel  in  Guttural  Expul- 
sive ;  but  this  Quality  with  the  Explosive  Form  would 


I3O  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

characterize  the  curse  of  a  King  Lear,  or  the  rage  of  an 
Othello  when  he  discovers  the  villainy  of  lago  and  the 
innocence  of  his  murdered  Desdemona. 

(6)  The  Pectoral  with  its  Forms. 

The  Pectoral  is  a  distinctly  Emotive  Quality,  and  all 
sentiments  expressed  by  it  are  distinctly  Emotive.  With 
the  Effusive  Form  we  have  an  Emoto-Emotive  combination 
expressing  the  deepest  solemnity,  awe  and  veneration.  We 
have  seen  (p.  105)  that  the  Pectoral  with  its  distinct  reso- 
nance lies  between  and  is  related  to  the  Orotund  on  the 
one  hand  and  the  Aspirate  on  the  other ;  so  the  sentiments 
expressed  by  the  Pectoral  partake  of  the  nature  of  the  senti- 
ments appropriate  to  those  two  Qualities.  The  Orotund 
Effusive  is  the  expression  of  reverence  and  the  Aspirate 
Effusive  that  of  fear;  our  table  shows  that  the  Pectoral 
Effusive  expresses  awe;  and  Webster  defines  awe  as  "rever- 
ential fear."  Ordinary  prayer  or  devotion  takes  the  Orotund 
Effusive  ;  but  let  there  be  a  full  realization  of  the  presence 
of  Deity  and  the  aspirated  utterance  which  comes  of 
"holy  fear"  would  modify  the  vocality  of  the  Orotund  into 
the  Pectoral  expressing  the  deepest  solemnity  and  veneration. 

When  we  stand  in  the  presence  of  the  great  works 
of  Nature  and  contemplate  her  forces  manifested  in  great 
mountains,  caves,  deserts,  or  oceans,  and  feel  a  sense  of  our 
own  littleness,  our  voices  all  untutored,  give  the  best  Pec- 
toral Effusive  we  are  capable  of  making.  Let  us  see  to  it 
that  these  elements  are  rightly  employed  in  recitation  and 
oratory. 

The  Pectoral  with  the  Expulsive  combines  an  Emotive 
Quality  with  a  Mental  Form,  expressing  dread,  amazement, 
and  horror.  The  Expulsive  adds  an  intensity  of  action  and 
impulsiveness  of  utterance  which  comes  with  the  sense  of 
imminent  danger  or  bodily  harm,  and  dread  or  horror  domi- 
nates the  expression.  For  instance,  on  finding  a  great 


QUALITY    AND    FORM    COMBINED.  13! 

number  of  slain  upon  a  field  of  battle,  one  would  be  im- 
pressed not  only  with  the  solemnity  of  the  scene,  but  with 
the  sense  of  danger  surrounding  him,  and  if  he  expressed 
himself  at  all,  his  voice  would  naturally  make  a  Pectoral 
Expulsive. 

To  compare  these  two  Forms  in  the  Pectoral,  let  us 
suppose  that  a  traveler  comes  suddenly  upon  a  full  view 
of  the  Yosemite  Valley.  His  expressions  of  wonder  and 
awe  would  be  in  the  Pectoral  Effusive  ;  but  let  him  sud- 
denly find  himself  so  near  the  edge  of  that  great  chasm 
that  there  is  danger  of  his  falling  two  thousand  feet  to  the 
base  of  the  cliff,  and  his  exclamations  of  horror  (if  fright 
does  not  so  far  predominate  as  to  produce  Aspirate  Quality) 
would  be  in  the  Pectoral  Expulsive.  One  may  enjoy  a 
comfortable  amount  of  wonder  and  deep  solemnity  forty 
feet  from  the  crater  of  Vesuvius,  but  he  would  be  horrified 
to  find  himself  on  its  burning  brink  ;  both  conditions  would 
beget  Pectoral,  but  the  difference  would  be  expressed  in 
the  two  Forms. 

There  can  be  no  Explosive  Pectoral  because  the  intensity  of 
of  the  one  would  destroy  the  suppression  of  the  other,  hence  this 
combination  is  not  found  in  Nature  or  expression. 

(7)   The  Nasal  with  its  Forms. 

We  have  omitted  the  Nasal  and  the  Falsetto  in  the  above 
diagram  because  these  Qualities  are  generally  used  in  an 
impersonative  sense,  and  rarely  enter  the  more  dignified 
realm  of  expression.  However,  the  same  course  of  reason- 
ing by  which  the  truth  of  the  other  combinations  have  been 
proved,  will  lead  the  student  into  the  correct  use  of  these 
two  Qualities :  For  example,  the  Yankee  lad,  "  Darius 
Green,"  whose  Normal  Quality  has  degenerated  into  an 
habitual  Nasal  would  express  his  sorrow  in  the  Effusive 
Nasal,  his  ordinary  conversation  in  the  Expulsive  Nasal,  and 
his  excitement  and  joy  in  the  Explosive  Nasal.  We  have  seen 


I32  PRACTICAL   ELOCUTION. 

that  the  Nasal  belongs  to  the  Vital  division,  and  is  due  to 
some  physical  derangement  of  the  nasal  cavities.  In  de- 
scribing Darius  Green  the  poet  says  : 

"  His  nose  seemed  bent  to  catch  the  scent, 
Around  the  corner,  of  new-baked  pies." 

This  physical  derangement  evidently  stamped  this  droll 
character  with  a  characteristic  Nasal  Quality  in  which  he 
must  express  all  his  thoughts  and  emotions,  —  the  different 
shadings  of  which,  in  turn,  are  expressible  in  the  three 
Forms  which  combine  with  this  Quality. 

(8)   The  Falsetto  with  its  Forms. 

The  Falsetto,  which  is  a  Vital  Quality  (p.  87),  combines 
with  the  Expulsive  and  Explosive  Forms  which  belong  to 
the  Mental  and  Vital  divisions  respectively  (p.  87).  The 
call  of  the  Indian  on  the  plains,  the  excited  cheers  heard  at 
base-ball  or  foot-ball  games,  and  the  wild  shouts  of  political 
crowds  greeting  election  returns,  illustrate  the  Falsetto 
Expulsive  J  in  these  Vitality  and  Mento-Emotion  evidently 
predominate.  The  piercing  scream  affright,  and  the  sudden 
shriek  of  acute  pain  or  unrestrained  physical  delight,  illustrate 
the  Falsetto  Explosive,  and  in  these  we  have  Vito- Vital  or 
a  predominance  of  expressed  Vitality. 

We  have  now  given  (in  Nature  and  in  man's  natural 
expression)  illustrations  of  all  the  combinations  in  the  above 
"  Multiplication  Table,"  and  accounted  for  the  sentiments 
assigned  to  each ;  so  that  in  the  consideration  of  other 
elements  we  may  justly  reason  from  these  established  facts. 

The  student  should  so  associate  each  element  with  its 
appropriate  sentiment  that  the  one  will  always  suggest  the 
other.  If  reading,  he  should  catch  the  sentiment  with  the 
words,  and  with  the  sentiment  should  come  the  elements 
with  which  it  is  to  be  expressed  ;  if  he  is  speaking,  the 
thoughts  and  sentiments  should  be  his  own,  and  with 


QUALITY    AND    FORM    ILLUSTRATED.  133 

them  should  come  a  skillful  execution  of  their  appropriate 
elements. 

To  further  familiarize  the  student  with  these  combinations 
we  subjoin,  for  practice,  the  following  : 

3.   Illustrative  Selections. 
(i)   Normal  Effusive. 

From  HIGH-TIDE. 
I  shall  never  hear  her  more 
By  the  reedy  Lindis  shore, 
"  Cusha  !  Cusha  !  Cusha  !  "  calling, 
Ere  the  early  dews  be  falling ; 
I  shall  never  hear  her  song, 
"  Cusha  !  Cusha  !  "  all  along 
Where  the  sunny  Lindis  floweth, 

Goeth,  floweth, 

From  the  meads  where  melick  groweth, 
Where  the  water  winding  down, 
Onward  floweth  to  the  town. 

Jean  Ingeloiv. 

From  THE  SECRET  OF  DEATH. 

"  She  is  dead  !  "  they  said  to  him  ;  "  Come  away  ; 
Kiss  her  and  leave  her,  —  thy  love  is  clay  !  " 
They  smoothed  her  tresses  of  dark-brown  hair ; 
On  her  forehead  of  stone  they  laid  it  fair ; 
Over  the  eyes  that  gazed  too  much, 
They  drew  the  lids  with  a  gentle  touch  ; 
With  a  tender  touch  they  closed  up  well 
The  sweet,  thin  lips  that  had  secrets  to  tell ; 
About  her  brows  and  beautiful  face 
They  tied  her  veil  and  her  marriage  lace, 
And  drew  on  her  white  feet  her  white  silk  shoes  — 
Which  were  the  whitest  no  eye  could  choose  — 
And  on  her  bosom  they  crossed  her  hands. 

"  Come  away  !  "  they  said  ;  "  God  understands  !  w 


(34  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

And  there  was  silence,  and  nothing  there 
But  silence,  and  scents  of  eglantere, 
And  jasmine,  and  roses,  and  rosemary  ; 
And  they  said,  "  As  a  lady  should  lie,  lies  she." 

Edwin  Arnold. 

From  THE  HOME  OF  OUR  CHILDHOOD. 

The  home  of  our  childhood  !  ah,  could  it  receive 

All  its  children,  if  but  for  a  day  ! 
Could  the  hours  as  of  old,  on  their  bright  wings  of  gold, 

Bring  the  joys  they  have  borne  far  away ! 

The  dew  of  the  morn  ne'er  returns  to  a  day 

That  in  summer  is  nearing  its  noon  ; 
The  scent  of  the  rain,  how  we  long  for  in  vain, 

Through  a  drought  in  the  fiery  June  ! 

But  echoes  of  voices  long  hushed  I  still  hear, 
And  the  old  joys  their  shadows  have  left ; 

The  false  horoscope  dims  the  vision  of  hope, 
But  the  boy-heart  is  not  all  bereft. 

Mysterious  whispers  in  solitude  heard, 
Or  the  sight  of  a  wild  woodland  flower, 

The  clear  rhythmic  fall  of  the  waterman's  call, 
Waken  memories  of  some  happy  hour. 


We  need  not  a  Wordsworth  to  pen  the  sad  truth, 
That  "  A  glory  hath  past  from  the  earth  "  — 

Forever  has  past,  yet  its  memories  last, 
Ever  sweetening  life's  turmoil  and  dearth. 

Vain  wish  that  the  pitiless  Past  could  restore 

What  in  youth  it  has  lavishly  given  ! 
But  hope  looks  beyond  to  the  unbroken  bond 

Of  reunion  as  children  in  heaven. 

Edward  A.  Allen. 


QUALITY    AND    FORM    ILLUSTRATED.  135 

(2)  Normal  Expulsive. 

From  A  DIARY. 

Her  features  were  not  pretty,  but  her  face  was  full  of  expres- 
sion, and,  next  to  that  wholesoul,  artless  expression,  was  a  blush 
that  surpassed  that  of  the  sunset  sky  opposite  her.  When  her 
thoughts  were  vivid  and  exciting,  this  glow  seemed  to  rise  up 
higher  in  her  cheeks  almost  as  perceptibly  as  the  wavy  edge  of  an 
aurora  borealis.  I  never  saw  any  color  so  perfectly  beautiful  in 
a  human  face,  or  so  mercurial,  rising  at  moments  and  then  fading 
gradually  downwards  with  her  emotions.  There  was  no  confusion 
about  it,  but  a  looming  up  of  her  passionate  and  poetic  nature. 
Her  words  seemed  to  flow  without  effort.  —  W.  F. 

From  WEST  AND  EAST,  AN  ALGERIAN  ROMANCE. 

As  a  soul  has  a  predominating  feature,  a  virtue  o'ershadowing 
all  others,  so  a  face  has  some  characteristic  beauty  in  which  all 
blemishes  are  submerged.  Sometimes  it  is  only  a  dimple  that 
modifies  severity  of  judgment,  as  a  hut  is  beautified  by  the  pres- 
ence of  a  rose,  or  the  most  vicious  life  clothed  with  a  cloak  of 
charity  fashioned  from  its  one  remaining  virtue. — Laura  Coates 
Reed. 

From  THE  MERCHANT  OF  VENICE.    Act  V,  Scene  i. 

Lorenzo.     How  sweet  the  moonlight  sleeps  upon  this  bank  ! 
Here  will  we  sit,  and  let  the  sounds  of  music 
Creep  in  our  ears;  soft  stillness  and  the  night 
Become  the  touches  of  sweet  harmony. 
Sit,  Jessica.     Look,  how  the  floor  of  heaven 
Is  thick  inlaid  with  patines  of  bright  gold  : 
There's  not  the  smallest  orb  which  thou  behold'st, 
But  in  his  motion  like  an  angel  sings, 
Still  quiring  to  the  young-ey'd  cherubins  : 
Such  harmony  is  in  immortal  souls  ; 
But,  whilst  this  muddy  vesture  of  decay 
Doth  grossly  close  it  in,  we  cannot  hear  it. 

Shakespeare. 


136  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

(3)  Normal  Explosive. 

From  IT  SHOWS. 
"  It  snows  !"  cries  the  school-boy  :  "  Hurrah  !  "  and  his  shout 

Is  ringing  through  parlor  and  hall  ; 
While  swift  as  the  wing  of  a  swallow,  he's  out, 
And  his  playmates  have  answered  his  call. 

Mrs.  Hale. 

From  INDEPENDENCE  BELL. 
Hush'd  the  people's  swelling  murmur, 

Whilst  the  boy  cries  joyously  ; 
"  Ring  ! "  he  shouts,  "  Ring  !  grandpapa, 

Ring  !  O,  ring  for  Liberty  ! " 
Quickly,  at  the  given  signal, 

The  old  bellman  lifts  his  hand, 
Forth  he  sends  the  good  news,  making 

Iron  music  through  the  land. 

Anon. 

From  YOUNG  LOCfflNVAR. 

One  touch  to  her  hand,  and  one  word  in  her  ear, 
When  they  reach'd  the  hall  door,  where  the  charger  stood  near ; 
So  light  to  the  croup  the  fair  lady  he  swung, 
So  light  to  the  saddle  before  her  he  sprung  ;  — 
"  She  is  won  !  we  are  gone,  over  bank,  bush,  and  scaur; 
They'll  have  fleet  steeds  that  follow  !"  quoth  young  Lochinvar. 

Scott. 

From  RUSTUM   AND  SOHRAB. 
Girl  !  nimble  with  thy  feet,  not  with  thy  hands, 
Curled  minion,  dancer,  coiner  of  sweet  words  ! 
Fight,  let  me  hear  thy  hateful  voice  no  more  ! 
Thou  art  not  in  Afrasiab's  gardens  now 
With  Tartar  girls,  with  whom  thou  art  wont  to  dance  ; 


QUALITY    AND    FORM    ILLUSTRATED.  137 

But  on  the  Oxus-sands,  and  in  the  dance 
Of  battle,  and  with  me,  who  make  no  play 
Of  war  :  I  fight  it  out,  and  hand  to  hand. 

Matthew  Arnold. 

(4)  Orotund  Effusive. 

From  ANGELS'  CHORUS— PROLOGUE  TO  FAUST. 

"  New  strength  and  full  beatitude 
The  angels  gather  from  thy  sight ; 
Mysterious  all,  yet  all  is  good, 
All  fair  as  at  the  birth  of  light." 

Goethe  ( Anster's  version). 

From  GOD. 

O  thou  Eternal  One,  whose  presence  bright, 

All  space  doth  occupy,  all  motion  guide  ; 
Unchanged  through  time's  all-devastating  flight ! 

Thou  only  God,  —  there  is  no  God  beside  ! 
Being  above  all  beings  !  mighty  One, 

Whom  none  can  comprehend  and  none  explore  ; 
Who  fill'st  existence  with  Thyself  alone, 

Embracing  all,  supporting,  ruling  o'er  ; 

Being  whom  we  call  God,  and  know  no  more  ! 

Derzhavin. 

From  PSALM  XC— Vs.  i  to  3 ;  4  to  6;  12  to  17. 

Lord,  thou  hast  been  our  dwelling  place  in  all  generations. 

Before  the  mountains  were  brought  forth,  or  ever  thou  hadst 
formed  the  earth  and  the  world,  even  from  everlasting  to  ever- 
lasting, thou  art  God. 

For  a  thousand  years  in  thy  sight  are  but  as  yesterday  when  it 
is  past,  and  as  a  watch  in  the  night. 

Thou  earnest  them  away  as  with  a  flood  ;  they  are  as  a  sleep  : 
in  the  morning  they  are  like  grass  which  groweth  up. 

In  the  morning  it  flourisheth,  and  groweth  up  ;  in  the  evening 
it  is  cut  down,  and  withereth. 


138  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

So  teach  us  to  number  our  days,  that  we  may  apply  our  hearts 
unto  wisdom. 

Return,  O  Lord,  how  long?  and  let  it  repent  thee  concerning 
thy  servants. 

O  satisfy  us  early  with  thy  mercy  ;  that  we  may  rejoice  and  be 
glad  all  our  days. 

Make  us  glad  according  to  the  days  wherein  thou  hast  afflicted 
us,  and  the  years  wherein  we  have  seen  evil. 

Let  thy  work  appear  unto  thy  servants,  and  thy  glory  unto  their 
children. 

And  let  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God  be  upon  us  :  and 
establish  thou  the  work  of  our  hands  upon  us  ;  yea,  the  work  of 
our  hands  establish  thou  it. 

(5)    Orotund  Expulsive. 
From  THE  AMERICAN  FLAG. 
Flag  of  the  free  heart's  hope  and  home, 

By  angel-hands  to  valour  given, 
Thy  stars  have  lit  the  welkin  dome, 

And  all  thy  hues  were  born  in  heaven. 
Forever  float  that  standard  sheet, 

Where  breathes  the  foe  but  falls  before  us, 
With  Freedom's  soil  beneath  our  feet, 

And  Freedom's  banner  streaming  o'er  us  ! 

/.  R.  Drake. 

From  LAUNCHING  OF  THE  SHIP. 
Thou,  too,  sail  on,  O  Ship  of  State  ! 
Sail  on,  O  UNION,  strong  and  great ! 
Humanity,  with  all  its  fears, 
With  all  the  hopes  of  future  years, 
Is  hanging  breathless  on  thy  fate  ! 
We  know  what  Master  laid  thy  keel, 
What  Workmen  wrought  thy  ribs  of  steel, 
Who  made  each  mast  and  sail  and  rope, 
What  anvils  rang,  what  hammers  beat, 
In  what  a  forge,  and  what  a  heat, 
Were  shaped  the  anchors  of  thy  hope  ! 

Longfellow. 


QUALITY    AND    FORM    ILLUSTRATED.  139 

From  THE  COLUMBIAN  ORATION.    Oct.  21,  1892. 

All  hail,  Columbus,  discoverer,  dreamer,  hero,  and  apostle.  We 
here,  of  every  race  and  country,  recognize  the  horizon  which 
bounded  his  vision  and  the  infinite  scope  of  his  genius.  The  voice 
of  gratitude  and  praise  for  all  the  blessings  which  have  been 
showered  upon  mankind  by  his  adventure  is  limited  to  no  language, 
but  is  uttered  in  every  tongue.  Neither  marble  nor  brass  can 
fitly  form  his  statue.  Continents  are  his  monument,  and  un- 
numbered millions,  past,  present,  and  to  come,  who  enjoy  in  their 
liberties  and  their  happiness  the  fruits  of  his  faith,  will  reverently 
guard  and  preserve,  from  century  to  century,  his  name  and  fame.  — 
Chauncy  M.  Depew. 

(6)  Orotund  Explosive. 

From  THE  COMING  OF  ARTHUR. 

Blow  trumpet !  he  will  lift  us  from  the  dust. 
Blow  trumpet !  live  the  strength  and  die  the  lust ! 
Clang  battle-axe,  and  clash  brand  !     Let  the  "  King  reign." 

Tennyson. 

From  JULIUS  C£SAR.    Act  III,  Scene  i. 

Cinna.        Liberty  !    Freedom  !    Tyranny  is  dead  !  — 

Run  hence  !  proclaim,  cry  it  about  the  streets. 

Cassius.     Some  to  the  common  pulpits;  and  cry  out, 
Liberty,  freedom,  and  enfranchisement ! 

Shakespeare. 

From  COUNT  CANDESPINA'S  STANDARD. 

Gonzalez  in  his  stirrups  rose  : 
"  Turn,  turn,  thou  traitor  knight ! 

Thou  bold  tongue  in  a  lady's  bower, 
Thou  dastard  in  a  fight !  " 

Geo.  H.  Boker. 


140  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

From    SPARTACUS  TO  THE  GLADIATORS. 

Ye  stand  here  now  like  giants,  as  ye  are  !  The  strength  of 
brass  is  in  your  toughened  sinews,  but  to-morrow  some  Roman 
Adonis,  breathing  sweet  perfume  from  his  curly  locks,  shall  with 
his  lily  fingers  pat  your  red  brawn,  and  bet  his  sesterces  upon 
your  blood.  Hark!  hear  ye  yon  lion  roaring  in  his  den?  'Tis 
three  days  since  he  has  tasted  flesh  ;  but  to-morrow  he  shall 
break  his  fast  upon  yours, —  and  a  dainty  meal  for  him  ye  will 
be! 

If  ye  are  beasts,  then  stand  here  like  fat  oxen,  waiting  for  the 
butcher's  knife  !  If  ye  are  men,  follow  me  !  Strike  down  yon 
guard,  gain  the  mountain  passes,  and  then  do  bloody  work,  as  did 
your  sires  at  old  Thermopylae!  Is  Sparta  dead?  Is  the  old 
Grecian  spirit  frozen  in  your  veins,  that  you  do  crouch  and  cower 
like  a  belaboured  hound  beneath  his  master's  lash  ?  O,  comrades  ! 
warriors  !  Thracians  !  if  we  must  fight,  let  us  fight  for  ourselves  ! 
If  we  must  slaughter,  let  us  slaughter  our  oppressors  !  If  we 
must  die,  let  it  be  under  the  clear  sky,  by  the  bright  waters,  in 
noble,  honourable  battle  ! 

(7)  Oral  Effusive. 

From  DEATH  OF  PAUL  DOMBEY. 

One  night  Paul  Dombey  had  been  thinking  of  his  mother  and 
her  picture  in  the  drawing-room  down  stairs.  The  train  of 
thought  suggested  to  him  to  enquire  if  he  had  ever  seen  his 
mother;  for  he  could  not  remember  whether  they  told  him  yes 
or  no. 

'  Floy,  did  I  ever  see  mamma  ? ' 

'No,  darling;  why?' 

« Did  I  ever  see  any  kind  face  like  mamma's,  looking  at  me 
when  I  was  a  baby,  Floy  ? ' 

1  Oh  yes,  dear.' 

'Whose,  Floy?' 

4  Your  old  nurse's,  often.' 


QUALITY    AND    FORM    ILLUSTRATED.  14! 

'  And  where  is  my  old  nurse  ?  Show  me  that  old  nurse,  Floy, 
if  you  please.' 

'  She  is  not  here,  darling.     She  shall  come  to-morrow.' 
*  Thank  you,  Floy.' 

"Floy!  this  is  a  kind  good  face!  I  am  glad  to  see  it  again. 
Don't  go  away,  old  nurse.  Stay  here!  Good-by!  " 

"  Good-by,  my  child?"  cried  Mrs.  Pipchin,  hurrying  to  his 
bed's  head.  »  Not  good-by  ?  " 

"Ah,  yes !    Good-by !  —  Where  is  papa  ?  " 

His  father's  breath  was  on  his  cheek  before  the  words  had 
parted  from  his  lips.  The  feeble  hand  waved  in  the  air,  as  if  it 
cried  "  Good-by!  "  again. 

"Now  lay  me  down;  and,.  Floy,  come  close  to  me,  and  let  me 
see  you." 

Sister  and  brother  wound  their  arms  around  each  other,  and 
the  golden  light  came  streaming  in,  and  fell  upon  them,  locked 
together.  —  Dickens. 

(8)  Oral  Expulsive. 
From  WOUlfDED. 

Let  me  lie  down 

Just  here  in  the  shade  of  this  cannon-torn  tree, 
Here,  low  on  the  trampled  grass,  where  I  may  see 
The  surge  of  the  combat,  and  where  I  may  hear 
The  glad  cry  of  victory,  cheer  upon  cheer  : 

Let  me  lie  down. 

O,  it  was  grand  ! 

Like  the  tempest  we  charged,  in  the  triumph  to  share; 
The  tempest,  —  its  fury  and  thunder  were  there  : 
On,  on,  o'er  intrenchments,  o'er  living  and  dead, 
With  the  foe  under  foot,  and  our  flag  overhead : 

O,  it  was  grand  1 


142  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Weary  and  faint, 

Prone  on  the  soldier's  couch,  ah,  how  can  I  rest, 
With  this  shot-shatter'd  head  and  sabre-pierced  breast? 
Comrades,  at  roll-call  when  I  shall  be  sought, 
Say  I  fought  till  I  fell,  and  fell  where  I  fought, 

Wounded  and  faint. 

William  E.  Miller. 


(9)  Aspirate  Effusive. 

From  MAUD -THE  GARDEN  SONG. 

The  red  rose  cries,  "  She  is  near,  she  is  near," 
And  the  white  rose  weeps,  "  She  is  late  ; " 

The  lark-spur  listens,  "  I  hear,  I  hear  ;  " 
And  the  lily  whispers,  "  I  wait." 

Tennyson. 

From  DYING  REQUEST. 

"  Leave  me  !     Thy  footstep  with  its  lightest  sound, 

The  very  shadow  of  thy  waving  hair, 
Wakes  in  my  soul  a  feeling  too  profound, 

Too  strong,  for  aught  that  lives  and  dies  to  bear  ; 
O  bid  the  conflict  cease  ! " 

Mrs.  Hemans. 

(10)  Aspirate  Expulsive. 

From  MACBETH.    Act  II,  Scene  i. 

Macbeth.     I've  done  the  deed.     Did'st  thou  not  hear  a  noise? 
Lady  Macbeth.     I  heard  the  owl  scream  and  the  crickets  cry. 
Did  not  you  speak  ? 

Macb.  When? 

Lady  M.  Now. 

Macb.  As  I  descended? 

Lady  M.     Ay. 

Macb.     Hark!     Who  lies  i' the  second  chamber ? 

Lady  M.     Donalbain. 


QUALITY    AND    FORM    ILLUSTRATED.  143 

Macb.     [Looking  at  his  hands.]     This  is  a  sorry  sight. 

Lady  M.     A  foolish  thought,  to  say  a  sorry  sight. 

Macb.     There's  one  did  laugh  in's  sleep,  and  one  cried  Murder! 
That  they  did  wake  each  other;  I  stood  and  heard  them : 
But  they  did  say  their  prayers,  and  address'd  them 
Again  to  sleep. 

Lady  M.     There  are  two  lodged  together. 

Shakespeare. 

(n)  Aspirate  Explosive. 

From  MACBETH.    Act  I,  Scene  7. 

Macb.  If  we  should  fail,  — 

Lady  M.  We  fail. 

But  screw  your  courage  to  the  sticking-place, 

And  we  '11  not  fail.  Shakespeare. 


From  THE  HUNCHBACK.    Act  IV,  Scene  2. 

Clifford.  A  burden  to  me  ! 

Mean  you  yourself  ?     Are  you  that  burden,  Julia  ? 
Say  that  the  Sun's  a  burden  to  the  Earth  ; 
Say  that  the  blood 's  a  burden  to  the  heart ; 
Say  health  's  a  burden,  peace,  contentment,  joy, 
Fame,  riches,  honours  ;  everything  that  man 
Desires,  and  gives  the  name  of  blessing  to,  — 
E'en  such  a  burden  Julia  were  to  me, 
Had  fortune  let  me  wear  her. 

Julia.     [Aside.]  On  the  brink 

Of  what  a  precipice  I  'm  standing  !     Back, 
Back  !  while  still  the  faculty  remains  to  do 't : 
A  minute  longer,  not  the  whirlpool's  self's 
More  sure  to  suck  thee  down.     One  effort !     There  ! 

Clif.  My  Julia  ! 


144  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Jul.  Here  again  ? 

Up  !  up  !     By  all  tny  hopes  of  Heaven,  go  hence  ! 
To  stay  's  perdition  to  me  !     Look  you,  Clifford, 
Were  there  a  grave  where  thou  art  kneeling  now, 

I  'd  walk  into 't,  and  be  inearth'd  alive, 

Ere  taint  should  touch  my  name.     Should  some  one  come 

And  see  thee  kneeling  thus  !     Let  go  my  hand  ! 

Remember,  Clifford,  I  'm  a  promised  bride  ; 

And  take  thy  arm  away  :  it  has  no  right 

To  clasp  my  waist.     Judge  you  so  poorly  of  me, 

As  think  I  '11  suffer  this  ?     My  honour,  sir  ! 

Knowles. 

(12)   Guttural  Expulsive. 
From  MARMION  AND  DOUGLASS. 

I  tell  thee,  thou'rt  defied  ! 
And,  if  thou  said'st  I  am  not  peer 
To  any  lord  in  Scotland  here, 
Lowland  or  Highland,  far  or  near, 

Lord  Angus,  thou  hast  lied  ! 

Scott. 

From  THE  MERCHAlfT  OF  VENICE.    Act  I,  Scene  3. 

Bassanio.     This  is  Signior  Antonio. 

Shylock.    [Aside.']    How  like  a  fawning  publican  he  looks  ! 
I  hate  him  for  he  is  a  Christian; 
But  more,  for  that,  in  low  simplicity, 
He  lends  out  money  gratis,  and  brings  down 
The  rate  of  usance  here  with  us  in  Venice. 
If  I  can  catch  him  once  upon  the  hip, 

I 1  will  feed  fat  the  ancient  grudge  I  bear  him. 
He  hates  our  sacred  nation;  and  he  rails, 

Even  there  where  merchants  most  do  congregate, 
On  me,  my  bargains,  and  my  well-won  thrift, 


FORM.  145 

Which  he  calls  interest.     Cursed  be  my  tribe, 

If  I  forgive  him  ! 

Shakespeare. 

(13)   Guttural  Explosive. 

From  MARY  STUART.    Act  III,  Scene  4. 

Leicester.     Attend  not  to  her  rage  !     Away,  away, 
From  this  disastrous  place  ! 

Mary.  A  bastard  soils, 

Profanes  the  English  throne  !     The  generous  Britons 
Are  cheated  by  a  juggler,  whose  whole  figure 
Is  false  and  painted,  heart  as  well  as  face  ! 
If  right  prevail'd,  you  now  would  in  the  dust 
Before  me  lie,  for  I'm  your  rightful  monarch  ! 

Schiller. 
From  LEAH,  THE  FORSAKEN.    Act  IV,  Scene  2. 

Rudolf.  Hold,  fierce  woman,  I  will  beseech  no  more  !  Do  not 
tempt  Heaven;  let  it  be  the  judge  between  us  !  If  I  have  sinned 
through  love,  see  that  you  do  not  sin  through  hate. 

Leah.  Blasphemer !  and  you  dare  call  on  Heaven !  What 
commandment  hast  thou  not  broken?  Thou  shalt  not  swear 
falsely,  —  you  broke  faith  with  me  !  Thou  shalt  not  steal,  —  you 
stole  my  heart.  Thou  shalt  not  kill,  —  what  of  life  have  you  left 
me? 

Rud.    Hold,  hold  !     No  more. 

Leah.  The  old  man  who  died  because  I  loved  you  ;  the  woman 
who  hungered  because  I  followed  you ;  the  infant  who  died  of 
thirst  because  of  you  ;  may  they  follow  you  in  dreams,  and  be  a 
drag  upon  your  feet  forever!  May  you  wander  as  I  wander,  suffer 
shame  as  I  now  suffer  it !  Cursed  be  the  land  you  till ;  may  it 
keep  faith  with  you,  as  you  kept  faith  with  me  !  Cursed  be  the 
unborn  fruit  of  thy  marriage  !  may  it  wither  as  my  young  heart 
has  withered  !  and,  should  it  ever  see  the  light,  may  its  brows  be 


146  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

blackened  by  the  mark  of  Cain,  and  may  it  vainly  pant  for  nourish- 
ment on  its  dying  mother's  breast !  Cursed,  thrice  cursed  may 
you  be  evermore  !  and  as  my  people  on  Mount  Ebal  spoke,  so 
speak  I  thrice,  Amen  !  Amen  !  Amen  ! 

Daly. 

(14)  Pectoral  Effusive. 
From  EWG  ROBERT  OF  SICILY. 

And  when  they  were  alone,  the  angel  said  : 
"  Art  thou  the  king  ?  "     Thus,  bowing  down  his  head, 
King  Robert  crossed  both  hands  upon  his  breast, 
And  meekly  answered  him,  "  Thou  knowest  best ! 
My  sins  as  scarlet  are  ;  let  me  go  hence, 
And  in  some  cloister's  school  of  penitence, 
Across  those  stones  that  pave  the  way  to  heaven 
Walk  barefoot  till  my  guilty  soul  be  shriven  ! " 

Longfellow. 

From  THE  CLOSING  YEAR. 

'Tis  midnight's  holy  hour,  and  silence  now 

Is  brooding  like  a  gentle  spirit  o'er 

The  still  and  pulseless  world.     Hark  !  on  the  winds 

The  bell's  deep  tones  are  swelling,  —  'tis  the  knell 

Of  the  departed  year.     No  funeral  train 

Is  sweeping  past ;  yet,  on  the  stream  and  wood, 

With  melancholy  light,  the  moon-beams  rest 

Like  a  pale,  spotless  shroud. 

Geo.  D.  Prentice. 

(15)  Pectoral  Expulsive. 

Prom  MACBETH.    Act  I,  Scene  5. 

Lady  Macbeth.  Give  him  tending; 

[Exit  Attendant. 

He  brings  great  news.  —  The  raven  himself  is  hoarse, 


DEGREE    OF    FORCE. 

\ 

That  croaks  the  fatal  entrance  of  Duncan 
Under  my  battlements.  —  Come,  you  spirits 
That  tend  on  mortal  thoughts,  unsex  me  here ; 
And  fill  me  from  the  crown  to  the  toe,  top- full 
Of  direst  cruelty  !  make  thick  my  blood, 
Stop  up  th'  access  and  passage  to  remorse, 
That  no  compunctious  visitings  of  nature 
Shake  my  fell  purpose,  nor  break  peace  between 
The  effect,  and  it !     Come  to  my  woman's  breasts, 
And  take  my  milk  for  gall,  you  murdering  ministers, 
Wherever  in  your  sightless  substances 
You  wait  on  nature's  mischief  !     Come,  thick  night, 
And  pall  thee  in  the  dunnest  smoke  of  Hell, 
That  my  keen  knife  see  not  the  wound  it  makes, 
Nor  Heaven  peep  through  the  blanket  of  the  dark, 
To  cry  Hold,  hold! 

Shakespeare. 


SECTION  II.  — DEGREE  OF  FORCE. 

We  have  seen  that  the  Degrees  of  Force  in  Elocution 
relate  to  the  measure  of  the  power  with  which  sounds  are 
sent  forth  from  the  vocal  organs.  We  have  also  seen  that 
this  division  of  Force  is  the  especial  agent  of  man's  Vital 
nature,  but  it  must  be  modified  by  the  Mental  and  Emotive 
divisions.  The  expenditure  of  any  given  degree  or  amount 
of  energy  is  regulated  by  the  state  of  mind  and  feeling,  and 
is  dependent  on  the  physical  condition  of  the  vocal  organs 
and  muscles.  Then  if  we  would  understand  and  acquire  a 
mastery  of  this  important  element  we  must  study  the  relation 
of  mind  and  feeling  to  the  Degrees  of  Force  as  well  as  the 
physical  resources  of  the  human  voice  by  which  it  responds 
to  the  requirements  of  the  Mental  and  Emotive  natures. 


148  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Different  Degrees  of  Force  express  different  sentiments. 
We  recognize  different  sentiments  in  the  clapping  of  hands, 
the  popping  of  fire-crackers,  the  firing  of  musketry,  and  the 
booming  of  cannon,  and  the  difference  is  marked  by  the 
Degrees  of  Force.  Because  these  sounds  are  all  made  by  per- 
cussion or  explosion  and  are  consequently  in  the  Explosive 
Form,  we  recognize  also  a  similarity  of  sentiment  —  that  of 
excitability  or  triumph.  Then  we  may  say  that  the  similarity 
of  sentiment  in  these  illustrations  is  marked  by  the  Form, 
and  the  dissimilarity  by  the  Degree.  Ordinary  clapping  of 
hands  expresses  approval,  but  the  louder  clapping  indicates 
enthusiasm  ;  the  difference  is  marked  by  the  Degrees  of 
Force  applied.  Ask  a  question  and  give  the  answer  "yes" 
with  ordinary  Force  ;  now  repeat  the  question  and  give  the 
same  answer  with  a  very  strong  Degree  of  Force  and  the 
changed  sentiment  is  at  once  apparent.  Then  it  is  evident 
that  we  must  use  different  Degrees  of  Force  to  express 
different  sentiments. 

I.   SCALE  OF   DEGREES. 

The  necessity  now  arises  for  a  scale  upon  which  we  may 
measure  the  different  Degrees  and  sentiments.  The  Degrees 
of  Force  are  Subdued,  Moderate,  Energetic  and  Impas- 
sioned. For  the  sake  of  closer  measurements  each  of  these 
may  be  further  subdivided  into  three  parts,  represented  to 
the  eye  by  the  following  familiar  diagram  : 

DEGREES  OF  FORCE. 


^—^^^        ,  ——^ 

ooo  ooo  000 


DEGREE    OF    FORCE.  149 

As  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  discover  all  the  writers  on 
Elocution  using  this  figure  have  treated  it  as  an  absolute 
scale,  and  the  teachers  of  Elocution  have  generally  tried  to 
make  the  sentiments  and  the  conditions  of  speaking  conform 
to  it.  It  appears  to  us  far  more  practical  to  use  this  as  a 
relative  scale,  adjustable  (i)  to  the  individuality  of  the 
speaker  and  (2)  to  the  acoustic  properties  of  different 
auditoriums. 

I.    Individuality  of  the  Speaker. 

Each  speaker  has  a  certain  range  in  Degrees  of  Force 
Which  is  measured  by  his  own  scale.  This  scale  in  turn  should 
indicate  his  use  of  Force  in  vocal  culture  and  expression. 
In  his  attempt  to  acquire  a  strong  voice  he  should  not 
model  his  power  upon  the  scale  of  some  favorite  teacher  or 
speaker.  This  gives  that  strained  and  unnatural  effect  so 
often  heard  in  minor  actors  who  imitate  their  "star,"  or 
in  young  speakers  who  pattern  after  some  forceful  orator. 

If  a  speaker  has  not  e.nough  control  of  Force  to  make 
himself  heard  by  an  audience  under  ordinary  circumstances, 
he  should  either  cultivate  his  voice  or  abandon  altogether 
the  attempt  to  speak.  Whatever  other  defects  an  audience 
may  overlook,  they  are  loth  to  excuse  one  who  claims  their 
time  and  attention  when  it  is  impossible  to  hear  his  words. 

There  are  other  speakers  who  do  make  themselves  heard, 
but  they  fall  into  the  habit  of  a  strained,  loud  utterance  for 
every  sentiment ;  nothing  is  more  disastrous  to  speaking. 
Such  a  person  should  be  drilled  in  Degrees  of  Force  until 
his  mildest  pathos  may  be  heard,  as  well  as  his  strongest 
vehemence  controlled. 

There  are  yet  other  speakers  whose  voices  are  strong 
enough  for  all  practical  purposes,  but  who  have  not  the  skill 
to  adjust  their  Degrees  to  the  acoustic  conditions  of  any 
given  auditorium.  This  leads  us  to  the  consideration  of 
the  second  point. 


PRACTICAL   ELOCUTION. 


2.   Acoustic  Conditions. 

We  cannot  undertake  a  treatise  on  the  laws  of  acoustics 
in  this  volume.  For  an  exhaustive  study,  the  student  is  re- 
ferred to  the  works  of  the  German  scientist,  Helmholtz.  But 
for  our  purposes  we  may  state  briefly  that  the  acoustic 
properties  of  any  auditorium  depend  upon  (i)  the  size  of  the 
room  ;  (2)  the  shape  of  the  room  ;  and  (3)  whether  or  not 
it  be  filled  with  an  audience.  The  speaker  cannot  control 
these  conditions  ;  he  must  adapt  himself  to  them. 

(i)   Size  of  Auditorium. 

If  the  auditorium  be  large  the  speaker's  scale  of  Force 
should  be  correspondingly  large.  His  Subdued  Force  must 
be  strong  enough  to  be  heard  by  the  entire  audience  if  they 
are  quiet  and  there  are  no  loud  external  noises  to  overcome. 
If  the  room  is  small  the  speaker's  scale  of  Force  should 
correspond  to  it,  so  that  his  most  impassioned  utterance  will 
not  offend  his  nearest  auditor.  One  may  recite  the  "  Charge 
of  the  Light  Brigade  "  or  the  strongest  scenes  from  "  Mac- 
beth "  or  "  King  Lear  "  in  a  small  room  without  offending 

his  audience. 

(2)   Shape  of  Auditorium. 

There  are  many  theories  regarding  the  shape  of  an 
auditorium  for  speaking  purposes  into  which  we  cannot 
enter  now  ;  but  we  may  here  record  some  observations  and 
offer  a  few  general  suggestions  to  the  speaker.  Let  us  con- 
sider three  different  auditoriums. 

Music  Hall  in  Cincinnati  seating  4,700  people,  while 
excellent  for  musical  purposes,  proved  a  failure  on  the 
occasion  of  the  Dramatic  Festival  held  there  in  1883.  It 
is  a  rectangular  room  the  length  of  which  is  about  one-and- 
a-half  times  its  width. 

The  great  Mormon  Tabernacle,  Salt  Lake  City,  elliptical 
in  form,  with  its  oblong  concave  ceiling,  presents  acoustic 
properties  almost  phenomenal.  The  sound  of  a  pin  falling 


DEGREE    OF    FORCE.  151 

two  or  three  feet  and  striking  against  a  hard  surface  near 
the  altar,  can  be  heard  in  any  distant  part  of  the  auditorium. 
Yet  the  condition  of  its  being  heard  is  the  utmost  silence 
on  the  part  of  every  one  present. 

The  ancients  seem  to  have  attained  the  nearest  to  perfect 
acoustic  conditions  in  the  construction  of  their  amphithe- 
atres. In  Verona,  Italy,  1:here  is  perhaps  the  best  preserved 
ancient  amphitheatre  in  the  world.  In  this,  one  may 
stand  as  far  as  possible  from  the  rostrum  and  hear  the 
voice  of  a  speaker  using  the  ordinary  Degrees  of  Force,  In 
its  day  this  vast  auditorium  seated  37,000  people. 

Our  architects  have  realized  that  the  theatres  modeled 
more  after  the  old  amphitheatre,  have  given  better  acoustic 
results  than  our  churches  ;  so  that  in  more  recent  years 
the  high  pointed  arches  and  the  level  floors  of  the  rectan- 
gular nave  and  chancel,  with  the  sometimes  projecting  arms 
of  the  transepts,  have  given  way  to  the  more  practical 
auditorium  with  its  raised  floors,  seated  with  opera  chairs 
arranged  in  semi-circular  rows,  its  arching  semi-circular 
galleries  and  its  rounded  curve  of  walls  and  ceiling. 

One  of  the  most  serious  results  of  a  badly  shaped 
auditorium  is  echo.  Yet  the  bad  effects  of  echo  may  be 
overcome  to  a  great  extent  by  a  clear  Quality  of  voice,  a 
distinct  articulation,  slower  utterance,  a  more  varied  Pitch, 
and  by  a  skillful  management  of  the  Degrees  of  Force 
suitable  to  the  size  of  the  room.  Loudness  of  utterance 
usually  augments  this  difficulty. 

In  some  auditoriums  the  speaker  will  observe  that  one 
portion  of  the  audience  hears  him  perfectly,  while  another, 
perhaps  more  remote,  hears  only  with  great  effort.  In  such 
a  case  the  speaker  should  accommodate  himself  to  the  lat- 
ter, observing,  at  the  same  time,  the  suggestions  given  in 
the  case  of  echo. 

A  great  factor  in  making  oneself  heard  in  any  auditorium 
is  the  art  of  gaining  the  attention  of  the  audience  ;  this  may 


I  52  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

be  accomplished  in  a  large  measure  not  only  by  a  skillful 
management  of  the  Degrees  of  Force  but  by  the  right  use 
of  all  the  principles  of  Elocution. 

(3)  Size  of  the  Audience. 

The  acoustic  properties  of  a  room  are  affected  by  an 
audience.  Hard  benches  and  bare  floors  reflect,  while  an 
audience  seems  to  absorb  sounds.  The  presence  of  a  large 
audience  generally  removes  the  conditions  that  make  an 
echo  in  an  empty  room.  If  the  speaker  will  use  the  ele- 
ments of  expression  as  carefully  in  the  presence  of  the  audi- 
ence as  he  must  to  overcome  the  echo  of  the  empty  hall,  he 
will  have  no  difficulty  in  being  heard  distinctly.  The  little 
noises  of  moving  feet,  waving  fans,  turning  of  the  leaves 
of  a  programme  or  libretto,  and  the  little  comments  of 
approval  or  disapproval  by  many  individuals,  will,  in  the 
aggregate,  make  up  a  certain  volume  of  sound  common  to 
even  the  most  orderly  audiences,  and  this  must  be  overcome 
by  the  speaker. 

There  are  also  auditoriums  generally  in  the  form  of  our 
modern  theatres  or  opera  houses,  with  drapery  and  hang- 
ings, in  which  there  is  little  or  no  echo,  even  when  empty. 
In  this  case  the  presence  of  a  large  audience  generally 
increases  the  acoustic  difficulties.  The  student  rehearsing 
in  such  an  auditorium,  with  Force  enough  to  be  distinctly 
heard,  should  enlarge  his  scale  of  Force  for  the  added  noises 
of  the  assembled  audience. 

A  speaker  may  meet^  the  further  conditions  of  a  small 
audience  in  a  large  hall,  in  which  case  he  should  adjust 
his  scale  of  Force  to  the  audience  rather  than  to  the  hall. 

II.    EXERCISES  ON  RELATIVE  SCALES. 

In  order  that  the  student  may  become  familiar  with  the 
relative  Degrees  of  Force  on  any  given  scale  we  here  sub- 
join a  few  exercises. 


DEGREE    OF    FORCE. 


153 


1.  Give  the  words  "Tin  nearer  my  home  to-day  than  I  ever 
have  been  before"  in  Subdued  Force  on  a  scale  for  different 
auditoriums  seating  50?  5°°>  &nd.  5000  persons  respectively. 

2.  In  the  same  way  give,  "Fellow-citizens:  It  is  no  ordinary 
cause  that  has  brought  together  this  vast  assemblage,"  in  Moderate 
Force  ;   "Has  there  any  old  fellow  got  mixed  with  the  boys  ?    If 
he  has,  take  him  out,  without  making  a  noise"  in  Energetic 
Force;    and   "Forward  the  Light  Brigade!    Charge  for  the 
guns!"  in  Impassioned  Force. 

3.  Give  the  sounds  ee,  oo,  ah,  and  the  words  on,  lie,  aim 
through  all  the  Degrees  of  Force  in  the  appropriate  scale  for 
different  auditoriums. 

III.    COMBINATIONS  WITH  FORM  AND  QUALITY. 
Having  given  the  individual  and  acoustic  conditions  of 
an  adjustable  scale,  we  now  submit  the  following  diagram 
showing   the   limitations   and   range   of    the    Forms    and 
Qualities  in  the  Degrees  of  Force. 

EFFUSIVE  EXPULSIVE  EXPLOSIVE 


o 


'Hi 


i 


1 


CD 


This  figure  which  we  give  to  represent  the  approximate 
range  and  limitations  is  based  upon  Mental,  Emotive,  and 


I  54  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Physical  laws  governing  the  production  of  speech-notes,  and 
may  be  proved  in  nature  and  expression  by  the  same  course 
of  reasoning  heretofore  followed.  Any  test  of  a  highly  cul- 
tivated voice  under  the  acoustic  conditions  we  have  given, 
shows  that  speech-notes  cannot  be  given  on  sounds,  words, 
and  sentences  outside  of  these  limitations,  while  the  voice, 
at  the  same  time,  gives  the  Mental  and  Emotive  impressions 
implied  by  the  sentiments  of  these  combinations.  Many 
voices  will  fall  far  below  the  execution  of  the  full  range  here 
shown,  but  the  standard  is  given  for  the  ambitious  student. 

i .    The  Limitations  in  Degree. 

We  find  that  the  Effusive  Form  combined  with  Normal 
Quality  extends  through  the  Subdued  and  Moderate  Degrees 
of  Force.  We  have  shown  (p.  124)  that  this  combination 
expresses  solemnity,  tranquillity,  and  pathos ;  then  those  senti- 
ments should  be  given  in  Subdued  and  Moderate  Degrees 
of  Force  in  whatever  scale  we  may  be  called  upon  to  use. 
Pathos  or  tranquillity  uttered  in  a  large  auditorium  must  be 
given  in  Subdued  or  Moderate  Force  for  that  room,  so  that 
they  will  be  heard,  and  at  the  same  time,  not  be  thrown  out 
of  the  Degree  appropriate  to  their  expression.  Give  these  sen- 
timents in  Energetic  or  Impassioned  Force  and  the  words  are 
robbed  at  once  of  their  expression.  In  fact  the  attempt  to 
do  this  would  cause  a  change  either  of  the  Form  or  the 
Quality  before  the  stronger  Degrees  of  Force  could  be 
reached. 

We  find  Effusive  Orotund  in  Moderate  and  Energetic 
Degrees.  No  human  voice  will  execute  the  Orotund  in  Sub- 
dued Force  because  the  intensity  required  for  the  vocal 
vibrations  of  the  Orotund  would  be  greater  than  that  repre- 
sented by  the  Subdued  Force.  Nor  is  this  combination 
found  in  the  Impassioned  Force  because  the  gentleness  of 
the  Effusive  Form  would  be  destroyed  by  the  intensity  of 
the  Impassioned  Force.  Then  this  limitation  must  be  cor- 


DEGREE    OF    FORCE.  155 

rect.  We  have  found  (p.  124)  that  the  Effusive  Orotund  is 
the  language  of  reverence,  sublimity,  and  devotion  ;  then  when 
we  express  these  sentiments  we  must  use  only  the  Moderate 
or  Energetic  Force  on  the  scale  for  any  room  in  which  we 
may  speak.  Prayer  uttered  in  Impassioned  Force  loses  its 
reverence  and  runs  into  a  strained,  unnatural  vociferation. 
The  diagram  above  shows  the  reason. 

The  weakest  Form  (Effusive)  combined  with  the  weakest 
Quality  (Oral)  cannot  extend  farther  than  through  the  weak- 
est degrees  of  Force  (Subdued)  ;  then  the  sentiment  of  this 
combination  (sickness,  feebleness,  and  weakness]  must  be  imper- 
sonated only  in  Subdued  Force.  Our  limitation  is  proved. 

So  we  might  go  through  the  entire  figure  and  show,  step 
by  step,  the  truth  of  these  limitations  ;  but  for  the  sake 
of  brevity  we  refer  the  student  to  the  diagrams  on  p.  124 
which  should  be  reviewed  in  connection  with  the  study  of 
these  diagrams  of  Force. 

In  fixing  this  figure  in  the  mind,  the  student  should 
observe  the  most  prominent  features  first  and  master  the 
minor  details  afterwards.  The  Effusive  Form  is  too  gentle 
to  extend  into  the  Impassioned  Force,  and  only  with  the 
strength  of  the  Orotund  will  it  run  into  the  Energetic. 
There  are  no  Expulsives  in  the  Subdued  Force  and  only  one 
(with  the  Orotund)  in  the  Impassioned  Force,  except  the 
Guttural  which  runs  through  the  first  degree  of  the  Impas- 
sioned. It  will  be  remembered  (p.  116)  that  the  Expulsive 
is  the  ordinary,  middle  Form  ;  then  its  limitations  in  general 
must  range  through  the  ordinary,  middle  Degrees  of  Force, 
as  the  figure  shows.  There  are  no  Explosives  in  the  Sub- 
dued and  Moderate  Degrees  of  Force,  because  that  Form  is 
too  intense  for  these  Degrees.  With  the  violence  of  the 
Guttural  it  is  too  intense  even  for  the  Energetic. 

For  the  reasons  already  given  (p.  131)  we  have  omitted 
the  Nasal  and  Falsetto  here. 


156  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

2.    The  Range  in  Degree. 

While  this  figure  marks  the  bounds  beyond  which  no 
speaker  must  stray,  it  also  shows  the  wide  territory  over 
which  the  orator  may  range.  In  a  given  room  or  audito- 
rium one  reader  may  shade  pathos  in  the  last  Degree  of 
Subdued  Force,  while  another  speaker,  under  the  same  cir- 
cumstances, may  give  this  sentiment  in  the  middle  or  last 
Degree  of  the  Moderate  ;  both  will  be  correct  because  they 
are  within  the  limitation,  but  they  will  be  different,  as 
indeed  they  should  be.  The  fact  that  one  speaker  gives  a 
particular  passage  of  bold  and  lofty  thought  in  the  last  Degree 
of  Impassioned,  is  no  reason  why  another,  equally  talented 
and  artistic,  may  not  give  the  same  passage  in  the  first 
Degree  of  Energetic  Force ;  the  two  renditions  will  be 
essentially  different  because  they  come  from  different  in- 
dividuals, but  both  will  be  right  because  they  have  not 
transgressed  Nature's  limitations.  Then  the  figure  shows 
the  utmost  range  for  individuality  in  Elocution. 

Almost  any  good  reader  would  give  the  same  passage 
in  different  Degrees  of  Force  at  different  times  according 
to  his  varying  moods ;  our  figure  simply  shows  his  range 
and  marks  his  limit. 

The  student  following  the  range  given  to  each  sentiment 
would  shade  different  sentences  and  parts  of  sentences  in 
different  Degrees  of  Force  and  thereby  avoid  the  monotony 
which  characterizes  the  wrong  use  of  the  Degrees  of  Force. 

For  practice  we  subjoin  a  few  selections  appropriate  in  the 
main,  to  the  different  Degrees  to  which  they  are  assigned. 

IV.    ILLUSTRATIVE   SELECTIONS. 
i .    Subdued  Degrees. 

From  1TEAKER  HOME. 

One  sweetly  solemn  thought 
Comes  to  me  o'er  and  o'er : 


DEGREE    OF    FORCE.  157 

I'm  nearer  my  home  to-day 

Than  I  ever  have  been  before  ; 

Nearer  my  Father's  house, 

Where  the  many  mansions  be  ; 
Nearer  the  great  white  throne  ; 

Nearer  the  crystal  sea  ; 

Nearer  the  bound  of  life, 

Where  we  lay  our  burdens  down  ; 

Nearer  leaving  the  cross, 
Nearer  gaining  the  crown  ! 

Phoebe  Gary. 

2.  Moderate  Degrees. 

From  A  BEE-HUNT  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 

We  had  not  been  long  in  the  camp  when  a  party  set  out  in 
quest  of  a  bee-tree,  and,  being  curious  to  witness  the  sport,  I 
gladly  accepted  an  invitation  to  accompany  them.  The  party 
was  headed  by  a  veteran  bee-hunter,  a  tall,  lank  fellow  in  home- 
spun garb  that  hung  loosely  about  his  limbs,  and  a  straw  hat 
shaped  not  unlike  a  bee-hive;  a  comrade,  equally  uncouth  in 
garb,  and  without  a  hat,  straddled  along  at  his  heels,  with  a 
long  rifle  on  his  shoulder.  To  these  succeeded  half  a  dozen 
others,  some  with  axes  and  some  with  rifles,  for  no  one  stirs 
far  from  the  camp  without  his  firearm,  so  as  to  be  ready  either 
for  wild  deer  or  wild  Indian.  —  Washington  Irving. 

3.  Energetic  Degrees. 

From  VIRGINIA:   A  LAY  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

Forth  through  the  throng  of  gazers  the  young  Icilius  press'd, 
And  stamp'd  his  foot,  and  rent  his  gown,  and  smote  upon  his 

breast, 

And  beckon'd  to  the  people,  and,  in  bold  voice  and  clear, 
Pour'd  thick  and  fast  the  burning  words  which  tyrants  quake  to 

hear. 

"  Now,  by  your  children's  cradles,  now,  by  your  father's  graves, 
Be  men  to-day,  Quirites,  or  be  forever  slaves  ! 


158  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Shall  the  vile  fox-earth  awe  the  race  that  stornVd  the  lion's  den? 
Shall  we,  who  could  not  brook  one  lord,  crouch  to  the  wicked  Ten  ? 
O,  for  that  ancient  spirit  which  curb'd  the  Senate's  will ! 
O,  for  the  tents  which  in  old  time  whiten'd  the  Sacred  Hill ! 
In  those  brave  days,  our  fathers  stood  firmly  side  by  side, 
They  faced  the  Marcian  fury,  they  tamed  the  Fabian  pride: 
But,  look,  the  maiden's  father  comes,  —  behold  Virginius  here  ! " 

Macaulay* 

4.   Impassioned  Degrees. 

From  THE  POLISH  BOY. 

The  mother  sprang  with  gesture  wild, 

And  to  her  bosom  clasp'd  her  child; 

Then  with  pale  cheek  and  flashing  eye, 

Shouted  with  fearful  energy, 

"  Back,  ruffians,  back  !   nor  dare  to  tread 

Too  near  the  body  of  my  dead; 

Nor  touch  the  living  boy;    I  stand 

Between  him  and  your  lawless  band. 

Take  me,  and  bind  these  arms,  —  these  hands,  — 

With  Russia's  heaviest  iron  bands, 

And  drag  me  to  Siberia's  wild 

To  perish,  if  'twill  save  my  child  ! " 

Ann  S.  Stephens. 

V.    SELECTIONS  FOR  ANALYSIS. 

The  student  should  analyze  the  following  selections, 
determine  the  appropriate  Degrees  of  Force  for  the  varying 
sentiments  and  emotions,  and  read  or  recite  them  ac- 
cordingly:— 

From  POTENCY  OF  ENGLISH  WORDS. 

Seek  out  "  acceptable  words  ; "  and  as  ye  seek  them  turn  to 
our  English  stores.  Seeking  to  be  rich  in  speech,  you  will  find 
that  in  the  broad  ocean  of  our  English  literature  there  are  pearls 
of  great  price,  our  potent  English  words;  words  that  are  wizards 
more  mighty  than  the  old  Scotch  magician;  words  that  are  pictures 
bright  and  moving  with  all  the  coloring  and  circumstances  of  life; 
words  that  go  down  the  century  like  battle  cries;  words  that  sob 


DEGREE    OF    FORCE.  159 

like  litanies,  sing  like  larks,  sigh  like  zephyrs,  shout  like  seas. 
Seek  amid  our  exhaustless  stores  and  you  will  find  words  that 
flash  like  the  stars  of  the  frosty  sky,  or  are  melting  and  tender 
like  Love's  tear-filled  eyes;  words  that  are  fresh  and  crisp  like  the 
mountain  breeze  in  Autumn,  or  are  mellow  and  rich  as  an  old 
painting  ;  words  that  are  sharp,  unbending,  and  precise  like  Alpine 
needle-points,  or  are  heavy  and  rugged  like  great  nuggets  of  gold; 
words  that  are  glittering  and  gay  like  imperial  gems,  or  are  chaste 
and  refined  like  the  face  of  a  Muse.  Search  and  ye  shall  find 
words  that  crush  like  the  battle-axe  of  Richard,  or  cut  like  the 
scimetar  of  Saladin;  words  that  sting  like  a  serpent's  fangs,  or 
soothe  like  a  mother's  kiss  ;  words  that  can  unveil  the  nether 
depths  of  Hell,  or  paint  out  the  heavenly  heights  of  purity  and 
peace;  words  that  can  recall  a  Judas;  words  that  reveal  the  Christ 
—John  S.  Mclntosh. 

From  MARCO  BOZZARIS. 
An  hour  pass'd  on  :  the  Turk  awoke  : 

That  bright  dream  was  his  last. 
He  woke  to  hear  his  sentries  shriek, 
"  To  arms  !  they  come  !  the  Greek  !  the  Greek  !  " 
He  woke,  to  die  'midst  flame  and  smoke, . 
And  shout,  and  groan,  and  sabre-stroke, 

And  death-shots  falling  thick  and  fast 
As  lightnings  from  the  mountain  cloud, 
And  heard,  with  voice  as  trumpet  loud, 

Bozzaris  cheer  his  band  : 
"  Strike  !  —  till  the  last  arm'd  foe  expires; 
Strike  !  —  for  your  altars  and  your  fires ; 
Strike  !  —  for  the  green  graves  of  your  sires; 

God,  and  your  native  land  !  " 

They  fought  like  brave  men,  long  and  well; 

They  piled  that  ground  with  Moslem  slain; 
They  conquer'd;  —  but  Bozzaris  fell, 

Bleeding  at  every  vein. 
His  few  surviving  comrades  saw 
His  smile  when  rang  their  loud  hurrah, 

And  the  red  field  was  won; 


I6O  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Then  saw  in  death  his  eyelids  close, 
Calmly  as  to  a  night's  repose, — 
Like  flowers  at  set  of  Sun. 

Come  to  the  bridal  chamber,  Death  ! 

Come  to  the  mother's,  when  she  feels, 
For  the  first  time,  her  first-born's  breath' 

Come  when  the  blessed  seals 
That  close  the  pestilence  are  broke, 
And  crowded  cities  wail  its  stroke  ; 
Come  in  consumption's  ghastly  form, 
The  earthquake  shock,  the  ocean  storm ; 
Come  when  the  heart  beats  high  and  warm 

With  banquet  song  and  dance  and  wine; 
And  thou  art  terrible  :  —  the  tear, 
The  groan,  the  knell,  the  pall,  the  bier, 
And  all  we  know,  or  dream  or  fear 

Of  agony  are  thine. 
But  to  the  hero  when  his  sword 

Has  won  the  battle  for  the  free 
Thy  voice  sounds  like  a  prophet's  word, 
And  in  its  hollow  tones  are  heard 

The  thanks  of  millions  yet  to  be. 

Fitz-Greene  Halleck. 

VI.   VOCAL  CULTURE  IN  DEGREES  OF  FORCE. 

We  have  seen  (p.  38)  that  the  second  requisite  to  a  good 
voice  is  Strength.  Practice  in  the  different  Degrees  of 
Force  will  give  this  strength  of  voice.  The  figure  illustrat- 
ing the  Degrees  (p.  148)  may  be  reproduced  in  larger  form  on 
the  blackboard  to  represent  to  the  eye  the  vocal  execution 
of  the  following  exercises  :  — 

i.  Give  phonetic  sounds  (p.  45)  with  notes  of  speech 
rising  and  falling  alternately,  through  all  the  Degrees  of 
Force,  changing  the  Form  and  Quality  at  will,  making  each 
utterance  stronger  than  the  preceding  one,  until  the  last 
Degree  of  Impassioned  is  reached. 


DEGREE  OF  FORCE. 


161 


2.  Give  the  same,  changing  the  Pitch  only  between  the 
four  subdivisions  of  Degrees  of  Force. 

3.  Give  the  same,  omitting  the  atonies,  and  using  notes 
of  song,  without  any  change  of  Pitch.     Repeat,  beginning 
in  a  lower  key  ;  repeat  again  in  a  higher  key. 

The  given  Pitch  sounded  upon  a  piano  or  other  musical  instru- 
ment alternately  with  the  vocal  impulses  will  aid  the  student  to 
retain  the  Pitch  with  which  he  began  the  scale. 

4.  Give  the  tonics  with  a  swell  of  the  voice  as  indicated 
by  the  following  figure,  beginning  with  Oral  Quality  in  the 
Subdued,  increasing  to  the  Orotund  in  Energetic  Force,  and 
then  gradually  decreasing  to  the  faintest  Oral  in  the  Sub- 
dued  Force.     In    this    exercise   the   diminuendo  should  be 
made  as  long  and  gradual  as  the  crescendo. 


5.  Give  the  tonics  with  an  Effusive  swell  in  each  Quality 
as  represented  in  the  above  figure,  making  the  Degrees  of 
Force  in  each  correspond  to  the  general  contour  of  the 
figure. 

All  these  swells  should  be  given  with  one  breath.  As  a  test  the 
student  should  practice  until  he  can  repeat  this  exercise  several 
times  with  moderate  movement  without  inhalation. 

6.  Repeat  all  the  above  exercises  using  the  words  all, 
live,  in,  isle,  roll,  on,  sea,  instead  of  the  phonetic  sounds 
named. 

In  these,  as  in  all  vocal  exercises  the  student  should  follow  the 
suggestions  given  regarding  the  Mental  feature  of  vocal  culture 
(p.  39).  He  should  vary  these  exercises  and  give  them  according 
to  his  strength  and  needs. 


1 62 


PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 


SECTION  III.  — STRESS. 

Stress  is  the  application  of  Force  to  the  different  parts 
of  a  sound  or  syllable.  Since  there  must  be  some  Force 
while  the  sound  continues,  our  use  of  the  term  Stress  will 
imply  the  location  of  the  heaviest  degree  of  intensity 
applied  to  certain  parts  of  sounds  and  syllables.  There  is  a 
distinct  Stress  on  each  syllable  of  a  spoken  word,  but  the 
distinguishing  Stress  which  marks  the  particular  sentiment 
or  meaning  must  be  placed  upon  the  accented  syllable. 

As  we  shall  make  use  of  the  names  of  the  different  kinds 
of  Stress  in  showing  them  in  nature  and  expression,  it  be- 
comes necessary  to  name  and  illustrate  them  before  entering 
into  a  fuller  explanation  of  each. 

I.    DIVISIONS  AND  GRAPHIC  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

There  are  six  varieties  of  Stress  named  and  illustrated  as 
follows  : 


STRESS.  < 


Radical 
Final 

Compound 

Median 
Thorough 

[ooool 

L  Intermittent  -sCQOOOf 

[DOOOQJ 


=  Force  on  first  part. 
"       last  part 

"       first  and  last. 
=         "       middle. 

"       all  parts  alike. 

=          "      periodic  parts. 


STRESS. 


The  preceding  figures  show  merely  the  location  of  the  Force 
and  the  Forms  of  voice  in  which  each  Stress  may  be  given. 
They  may  be  inflected  or  waved  to  represent  the  great 
variety  of  speech  notes  used  in  Melody. 

II.   COMPARISON  WITH  FORM. 

Writers  on  this  subject  have  generally  so  confounded 
Stress  with  Form  that  students  have  not  been  able  to  dis- 
tinguish between  them  without  the  vocal  illustration  by  some 
skillful  teacher  of  the  Rush  system.  In  fact,  Dr.  Rush  him- 
self is  not  clear  upon  a  first  reading,  and  many  of  his 
followers  misinterpret  him. 

The  usual  figures  which  illustrate  Expulsive  and  Explosive 
Forms  are  identical  with  those  illustrating  Radical  Stress  ; 
while,  to  the  student  there  seems  to  be  an  absolute  conflict 
between  these  figures  and  those  illustrating  Final  Stress. 

But  let  us  combine  the  specific  figures  illustrating  Form 
(p.  114)  with  the  above  illustrations  of  Stress,  and  the  student 
will  readily  see  that  the  Form  relates  solely  to  the  smooth- 
ness or  abruptness  with  which  the  Force  is  applied  to  the 
opening  and  closing  of  a  sound;  while  Stress  relates  only 
to  the  location  of  the  Force.  The  following  cuts  illustrate 
this  idea  :  — 


Expulsive 

Explosive 

Expulsive 

Explosive 

Expulsive 

Explosive 

Effusive 

Expulsive 

Explosive 

Effusive 

Expulsive 

Explosive 


Radical 


Final 


-\-  Compound        C^><C3    ~ 

+ 

,-f-  Median 

-|-  Thorough 


!+    Intermittent    OOOOO  =  -COOOO 

+  000000=  •oooce 

4- 


164  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

III.    USE  OF  STRESS  IN  EXPRESSION. 

Now  let  us  find  a  philosophic  reason  for  the  use  of  Stress 
in  Elocution.  A  change  of  the  location  of  Force  from 
one  part  of  a  sound,  syllable,  or  word  to  another,  will 
change  the  sentiment  or  meaning.  Let  us  prove  this 
proposition. 

If  a  direct  question  is  asked,  and  the  simple  answer  "  no  " 
is  given  with  Radical  Stress  it  implies  an  ordinary  answer 
unmarked  by  sentiment ;  now  let  the  answer  be  given  with 
Final  Stress  in  which  the  Force  is  transferred  to  the  last 
part  of  the  word,  and  the  impression  of  determination,  im- 
patience, or  scorn  is  given.  Give  the  same  answer  in  Com- 
pound Stress  and  it  implies  irony  or  sarcasm;  in  Median 
Stress  it  conveys  the  sentiment  of  sorrow  or  pathos:  in 
Thorough  Stress  it  becomes  a  call;  and  in  the  Intermittent 
it  shows  feebleness,  or  agitation,  caused  by  joy  or  sorrow.  In 
all  these  repetitions  of  "no"  give  the  same  Moderate 
Degree  of  Force,  the  same  Normal  Quality,  and,  (except  in 
the  Median  which  takes  only  the  Effusive)  the  same  Expul- 
sive Form  ;  and  it  will  be  seen  that  the  changes  of  sentiment 
and  meaning  are  marked  by  the  changes  of  the  location  of 
Force. 

The  sentence,  "  Brutus  is  an  honorable  man,"  given  with 
Radical  Stress  is  a  simple  statement  of  a  fact  ;  but  if  the 
accented  syllable  of  the  word  "honorable"  be  given  in 
Compound  Stress  the  whole  sense  is  changed  to  the  opposite 
meaning. 

If  the  words,  "  Pity  the  sorrows  of  a  poor  old  man,"  are 
uttered  with  Median  Stress  they  imply  a  pathetic  injunction 
on  the  part  of  the  speaker ;  but  if  given  in  Intermittent 
Stress  the  speaker  shows  greater  agitation,  or  he  becomes  a 
personator  of  the  "poor  old  man."  Giving  all  the  other 
elements  alike  in  the  two  renditions,  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
difference  is  made  by  changing  the  single  element  of  Stress. 


STRESS.  165 

The  glad  bark  of  a  dog  is  in  Radical  Stress,  his  angry 
bark  is  in  Final,  and  his  mournful  howl  is  in  Median;  we 
cannot  doubt  the  differing  significance  of  these  three.  The 
ringing  laughter  of  children  illustrates  the  Radical  Stress  ; 
their  cry  of  sorrow  or  groan  of  pain  is  an  unmistakable 
Median  Stress. 

These  illustrations  prove  our  proposition  ;  and  accepting 
it  as  a  fact  we  must  know  exactly  the  significance  of  each 
Stress  and  be  guided  by  that  knowledge  in  our  study  of 
expression. 

IV.   ADAPTATION   TO  THE   TRIUNE   NATURE. 

We  have  seen  (p.  87)  that  Stress  is  a  specific  constituent 
of  the  generic  element  Force  and  is  capable  of  subdivision 
into  its  varieties  or  kinds  ;  these  kinds  as  expressive 
agents  must  correspond  to  man's  triune  nature.  In  the 
following  classification  we  find  no  conflict  between  the 
ideas  of  Rush  and  .Delsarte. 


,Radical__. 
X__.II  MentaU-"  ~~~ 


MAN      /_        ...HI  Emotive*-"-  -  -  —  'Medlan  ------  -  -  >V  STRESS 

(as  a  Psychic.  --.„_      ~,  __--;:p(a  specific 

Being)       X    '  ---.Final  -------  ~~^:VOcal  element) 


-"'    .—Thorough  ---  *'   / 

"""***»  / 

'---Intermittent^ 

By  the  light  of  this  diagram,  though  not  in  this  order,  we 
will  consider  the  Stresses. 

V.   RADICAL   STRESS. 
i  .    Law  of  Use. 

In  Radical  Stress  the  Force  is  applied  strongest  on  the 
first  part  of  the  sound.  This  is  the  ordinary  Stress  which 
should  predominate  in  all  speech,  and  it  may  be  placed  on 
every  word  of  a  sentence.  In  fact  it  is  the  appropriate 
Stress  for  all  the  unemphatic  words,  even  in  a  sentence  in 


1 66  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

which  the  emphatic  words  demand  some  other  Stress.  The 
Radical  is  heard  in  the  clapping  of  hands,  the  tap  of  the 
drum,  the  tick  of  a  clock  or  watch,  and  in  the  animated 
conversation  of  all  people  in  all  languages.  It  corresponds 
to  the  Mental  nature  and  is  consequently  the  intellectual 
medium  ;  while  each  of  the  other  Stresses  may  be  said  to 
convey  some  special  significance  of  the  Emotive  or  Vital 
nature. 

Mr.  Murdoch  says  :  "  The  clear  Radical  not  only  imparts 
clearness  and  brilliancy  to  language  that  is  animated  in  its 
character,  but  it  gives  a  penetrating  power  to  the  voice  that 
carries  it  through  space,  and  enables  the  speaker  to  put 
every  syllabic  utterance  upon  the  ear  of  the  auditor  with- 
out any  effort  on  the  part  of  the  latter.  This  constitutes 
the  great  charm  of  delivery." 

Our  illustrative  figures  show  that  only  the  Expulsive  and 
Explosive  Forms  can  be  given  with  Radical  Stress  ;  then  it 
may  be  used  in  all  the  combinations  of  these  Forms  with 
the  Qualities,  and  hence  in  the  expression  of  the  thoughts 
and  sentiments  assigned  to  these  combinations  (p.  124).  Its 
most  characteristic  combinations,  however,  will  be  found 
with  those  Qualities  which  correspond  most  nearly  to  the 
Mental  nature,  namely  :  the  Normal  and  Orotund  (p.  91)  ; 
hence  the  most  general  use  of  the  Radical  for  emphatic 
purposes  is  in  the  expression  of  such  kinds  of  thought  as 
narration,  didactic  thought,  patriotism,  gaiety,  courage,  etc. 

The  student  should  practice  the  following  : 

2.   Illustrative  Selections. 

From  THE  BELLS. 

Hear  the  sledges  with  the  bells,  —  silver  bells  ; 
What  a  world  of  merriment  their  melody  foretells  I 
How  they  tinkle,  tinkle,  tinkle 
In  the  icy  air  of  night ! 
While  the  stars  that  over  sprinkle 


STRESS.  167 

All  the  heavens,  seem  to  twinkle 
With  a  crystalline  delight ; 
Keeping  time,  time,  time, 
In  a  sort  of  Runic  rhyme, 
To  the  tintinabulation  that  so  musically  wells 
From  the  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells,  — 
From  the  jingling  and  the  tinkling  of  the  bells. 

Edgar  A.  Poe. 

From  ADVICE  TO  YOITNG  LAWYERS. 

Whene'er  you  speak,  remember  every  cause 
Stands  not  on  eloquence,  but  stands  on  laws  ; 
Pregnant  in  matter,  in  expression  brief, 
Let  every  sentence  stand  with  bold  relief  ; 
On  trifling  points  nor  time  nor  talents  waste, 
A  sad  offense  to  learning  and  to  taste  ; 
Nor  deal  with  pompous  phrase,  nor  e'er  suppose 
Poetic  flights  belong  to  reasoning  prose. 

Begin  with  dignity;  expound  with  grace 

Each  ground  of  reasoning  in  its  time  and  place  ; 

Let  order  reign  throughout ;  each  topic  touch, 

Nor  urge  its  power  too  little  nor  too  much  ; 

Give  each  strong  thought  its  most  attractive  view, 

In  diction  clear  and  yet  severely  true  ; 

And,  as  the  arguments  in  splendor  grow, 

Let  each  reflect  its  light  on  all  below  ; 

When  to  the  close  arrived,  make  no  delays 

By  petty  flourishes  or  verbal  plays, 

But  sum  the  whole  in  one  deep,  solemn  strain, 

Like  a  strong  current  hastening  to  the  main. 

Judge  Story. 

VI.   FINAL   STRESS. 
I .  Law  of  Use. 

In  Final  Stress  the  Force  is  placed  mainly  upon  the 
last  part  of  the  sound.  It  can  be  given  only  in  the  Ex- 
pulsive and  Explosive  Forms.  We  have  this  Stress  in  the 


1 68  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

sneeze  or  hiccough,  in  the  premonitory  growl  and  final  angry 
bark  of  a  dog  when  he  snaps  at  the  object  of  his  anger,  or 
in  the  determined  tones  of  a  resolute,  self-willed  person.  It 
is  the  opposite  of  the  Radical  and  expresses  almost  opposite 
sentiments.  If  the  student  will  utter  the  words :  "  I  will  do 
this "  with  Radical  Stress,  and  then  give  the  same  words 
with  a  Final  Stress  on  the  word  "  will "  the  changed  senti- 
ment will  be  apparent. 

Our  diagram  (p.  165)  shows  the  Final  to  be  one  of  the 
pivotal  Stresses  responding  about  equally  to  the  Emotive 
and  Vital  natures.  The  student  is  here  referred  to  the 
statements  made  concerning  the  pivotal  Qualities  (p.  91). 

The  Final,  in  its  appropriate  Forms  combined  with  the 
Normal  and  Orotund  Qualities,  will  express  self-assertion, 
determination,  resolution,  courage,  or  defiance ;  while  with  the 
Pectoral,  Aspirate,  or  Guttural  it  expresses  the  awful,  secret, 
or  malignant  emotions,  such  as  wonder,  amazement,  horror, 
rebuke,  scorn,  contempt,  hate,  or  revenge.  For  practice  the 
student  should  give  Final  Stress  on  the  underscored  words 
in  the  following  selections.  It  must  be  understood,  how- 
ever, that  this  marking  shows  but  one  of  several  conceptions 
of  the  same  lines. 

2.   Illustrative  Selections, 
From  THE  SEMTJfOLE'S  REPLY. 

I  loathe  ye  in  my  bosom, 

I  scorn  ye  with  mine  eye, 
And  I'll  taunt  ye  with  my  latest  breath, 

And  fight  ye  till  I  die  ! 

G.  W.  Patten. 

From  COTTNT  CANDESPEHA'S  STANDARD. 

"  Yield,  madman,  yield  !  thy  horse  is  down, 
Thou  hast  nor  lance  nor  shield  ; 


STRESS. 

Fly  !— -I  will  grant  thee  time." 
Can  neither  fly  nor  yield ! " 


From  OTHELLO.    Act  II,  Scene  3- 

Cassia.  I  will  rather  sue  to  be  despised,  than  to  deceive  so 
good  a  commander  with  so  slight,  so  drunken,  and  so  indiscreet 
an  officer.  Drunk,  and  speak  parrot?  and  squabble,  swagger, 
swear  ?  and  discourse  fustian  with  one's  own  shadow  ?  —  O  thou 
invisible  spirit  of  wine,  if  thou  hast  no  name  to  be  known  by,  let 
us  call  thee  devil ! 

lago.  What  was  he  that  you  followed  with  your  sword  ?  What 
had  he  done  to  you? 

Cas.     I  know  not. 

lago.     Is't  possible? 

Cas.  I  remember  a  mass  of  things,  but  nothing  distinctly ;  a 
quarrel,  but  nothing  wherefore.  —  O  God,  that  men  should  put  an 
enemy  in  their  mouths,  to  steal  away  their  brains  !  that  we  should, 
with  joy,  revel,  pleasure,  and  applause,  transform  ourselves  into 
beasts ! 

lago.  Why,  but  you  are  now  well  enough.  How  came  you 
thus  recovered? 

Cas.  It  hath  pleased  the  devil,  drunkenness,  to  give  place  to 
the  devil,  wrath  :  one  unperfectness  shows  me  another,  to  make 
me  frankly  despise  myself. 

lago.  Come,  you  are  too  severe  a  moraler  :  As  the  time,  the 
place,  and  the  condition  of  this  country  stands,  I  could  heartily 
wish  this  had  not  befallen ;  but,  since  it  is  as  it  is,  mend  it  for 
your  own  good. 

Cas.  I  will  ask  him  for  my  place  again  ;  he  shall  tell  me  I  am 
a  drunkard  !  Had  I  as  many  mouths  as  Hydra,  such  an  answer 
would  stop  them  all.  To  be  now  a  sensible  man,  by  and  by  a 
fool,  and  presently  a  beast !  O  strange  !  —  Every  inordinate  cup 
is  unblessed,  and  the  ingredient  is  a  devil.  —  Shakespeare. 


I/O  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

VII.   COMPOUND  STRESS. 
I.   Law  of  Use. 

Our  illustrative  figure  shows  the  Compound  to  be  a 
"double-faced"  Stress  with  the  Force  upon  the  first  and 
last  parts  of  the  sound.  It  admits  of  the  Expulsive  and 
Explosive  Forms.  It  is  an  attempt  at  combining  two 
opposite  Stresses,  the  Radical  and  Final,  with  their  oppo- 
site significance,  which  implies  a  falsity  upon  the  face  of 
it.  It  is  characteristic  of  falsity  of  statement  and  irony  of 
purpose.  It  is  heard  in  childish  mimicry  and  in  the  mock- 
ing laughter  of  ridicule.  It  is  the  Stress  employed  when 
one  wishes  to  say  one  thing  and  mean  another,  hence  it  is 
used  in  the  expression  of  insinuatioti,  mockery,  satire,  taunt, 
sarcasm,  derision,  etc.,  all  of  which  convey  the  idea  of  emotion 
or  feeling  tinged  with  mentality  of  a  disagreeable  nature. 
Our  diagram  (p.  165)  shows  this  as  the  other  pivotal  Stress 
resppnding  about  equally  to  the  Mental  and  Emotive 
natures. 

Like  the  other  unusual  Stresses  it  must  be  used  only  on 
the  particular  words  which,  according  to  the  speaker's  con- 
ception, embody  the  emotion.  Read  the  following  sen- 
tences aloud  and  give  the  underscored  words  in  Compound 
Stress. 

2.   Illustrative  Selections. 

From  CATILINE'S  DEFIANCE. 
*    I  do  not  rise  to  waste  the  night  in  words ; 
Let  that  Plebeian  talk,  'tis  not  my  trade  ; 
But  here  I  stand  for  right,  —  let  him  show  proofs,  — 
For  Roman  right,  though  none,  it  seems,  dare  stand 
To  take  their  share  with  me.     Ay,  cluster  there  ! 

Banish'd  from  Rome  !     What's  banish'd  but  set  free 
From  daily  contact  with  the  things  I  loathe  ? 


STRESS.  I/I 

"Tried  and  convicted  traitor  !  "     Who  says  this? 

Who'll  prove  it,  at  his  peril,  on  my  head  ? 

Banish 'd  !     I  thank  you  for't :    it  breaks  my  chain  ! 

I  held  some  slack  allegiance  till  this  hour ; 

But  now  my  sword's  my  own.     Smile  on,  my  Lords  ! 

I  scorn  to  count  what  feelings,  wither'd  hopes, 

Strong  provocations,  bitter,  burning  wrongs, 

I  have  within  my  heart's  hot  cells  shut  up, 

To  leave  you  in  your  lazy  dignities. 

George  Croly. 

From  THE  SCHOOL  FOR  SCANDAL.    Act  II,  Scene  i. 

Sir  Peter  Teazle.     Lady  Teazle,  Lady  Teazle,  I'll  not  bear  it ! 

Lady  Teazle.  Sir  Peter,  Sir  Peter,  you  may  bear  it  or  not,  as 
you  please  ;  but  I  ought  to  have  my  own  way  in  everything ;  and, 
what's  more,  I  will  .too.  What  though  I  was  educated  in  the 

country,  I  know  very  well  that  women  of  fashion  in  London  are 

• 
accountable  to  nobody  after  they  are  married. 

Sir  P.  Very  well,  ma'am,  very  well ;  so  a  husband  is  to  have 
no  influence,  no  authority? 

Lady  T.  Authority  !  No,  to  be  sure  :  if  you  wanted  authority 
over  me,  you  should  have  adopted  me,  and  not  married  me  ;  I  am 
sure  you  were  old  enough. 

Sir  P.  Old  enough  !  ay,  there  it  is  !  Well,  well,  Lady  Teazle, 
though  my  life  may  be  made  unhappy  by  your  temper,  I'll  not  be 
ruined  by  your  extravagance. 

Lady  T.  My  extravagance  !  I'm  sure  I'm  not  more  extrava- 
gant than  a  woman  ought  to  be. 

Sir  P.  No,  no,  madam,  you  shall  throw  away  no  more  sums 
on  such  unmeaning  luxury.  'Slife  !  to  spend  as  much  to  furnish 
your  dressing-room  with  flowers  in  Winter  as  would  suffice  to 
turn  the  Pantheon  into  a  green-house,  and  give  a  fete  champetre 
at  Christmas  ! 


1/2  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Lady  T.  Sir  Peter,  am  I  to  blame  because  flowers  are  dear  in 
cold  weather?  You  should  find  fault  with  the  climate,  and  not 
with  me.  For  my  part',  I'm  sure,  I  wish  it  was  Spring  all  the 
year  round,  and  that  roses  grew  under  our  feet ! 

Sir  P.  Oons,  madam  !  if  you  had  been  born  to  this,  I  shouldn't 
wonder  at  your  talking  thus  ;  but  you  forget  what  your  situation 
was  when  I  married  you. 

Lady  T.  No,  no,  I  don't ;  'twas  a  very  disagreeable  one,  or  I 
should  never  have  married  you.  —  Richard  Brinsley  Sheridan. 

VIII.   MEDIAN  STRESS. 
I.   Law  of  Use. 

In  the  Median  Stress  the  Force  is  placed  chiefly  upon 
the  middle  part  of  the  sound,  making  a  swell  of , the  voice 
which  varies  according  to  the  intensity  required.  It  is 
heard  in  the  sigh  of  pathos,  the  moaning  wind,  the  melan- 
.chojy  howl  of  a  dog,  the  swell  of  a  pipe-organ,  and  the 
groan  of  a  child  in  sorrow  or  pain. 

The  Median  is  a  distinctly  Emotive  stress  and  can  be 
given  only  with  the  Effusive  which  is  an  Emotive  Form  ; 
•this  fact  at  once  gives  the  key  to  its  proper  use.  It  is  the 
appropriate  Stress  for  all  sentiments  assigned  to  the  com- 
bination of  the  Effusive  Form  with  the  Qualities  (p.  124)  ; 
having  proved  these  in  Nature  and  expression  we  have  only 
to  repeat  a  few  of  them  here  such  as  pathos,  sorrow,  reverence, 
awe,  etc.  A  skillful  use  of  this  Stress  adds  great  beauty  to 
the  utterance  of  those  sentiments  which  require  it. 

2.    Illustrative  Selections. 

From  DRTFTIffG. 
My  soul  to-day  is  far  away, 
Sailing  the  Vesuvian  Bay  ; 
My  winged  boat,  a  bird  afloat, 
Swims  round  the  purple  peaks  remote  : 


STRESS.  173 

Round  purple  peaks  it  sails,  and  seeks 

Blue  inlets  and  their  crystal  creeks, 

Where  high  rocks  throw,  through  deeps  below, 

A  duplicated  golden  glow. 

Far,  vague,  and  dim  the  mountains  swim  ; 
While,  on  Vesuvius'  misty  brim, 
With  outstretch'd  hands  the  gray  smoke  stands 
O'erlooking  the  volcanic  lands. 

In  lofty  lines,  'mid  palms  and  pines, 
And  olives,  aloes,  elms,  and  vines, 
Sorrento  swings  on  sunset  wings, 
Where  Tasso's  spirit  soars  and  sings-. 

Here  Ischia  smiles  o'er  liquid  miles  ; 
And  yonder,  bluest  of  the  Isles, 
Calm  Capri  waits,  her  sapphire  gates 
Beguiling  to  her  bright  estates. 

I  heed  not,  if  my  rippling  skiff 
Float  swift  or  slow  from  cliff  to  cliff  : 
With  dreamful  eyes  my  spirit  lies 
Under  the  walls  of  Paradise. 

T.  B.  Read. 

From  MAGDALENA. 

The  breeze  of  the  evening  that  cools  the  hot  air, 
That  kisses  the  orange  and  shakes  out  thy  hair, 
Is  its  freshness  less  welcome,  less  sweet  its  perfume, 
That  you  know  not  the  region  from  which  it  is  come? 
Whence  the  wind  blows,  where  the  wind  goes, 
Hither  and  thither  and  whither  —  who  knows  ? 

Who  knows  ? 
Hither  and  thither,  —  but  whither  —  who  knows? 

The  river  forever  glides  singing  along, 
The  rose  on  the  bank  bends  down  to  its  song ; 
And  the  flower,  as  it  listens,  unconsciously  dips, 
Till  the  rising  wave  glistens  and  kisses  its  lips : 


1/4  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

But  why  the  wave  rises  and  kisses  the  rose, 

And  why  the  rose  stoops  for  those  kisses  —  who  knows  ? 

Who  knows  ? 

And  away  flows  the  river, — but  whither  —  who  knows? 

/.  F.  Waller. 

From  ROMEO  AND  JULIET.    Act  II,  Scene  2. 

Romeo.  She  speaks.  — 

O,  speak  again,  bright  angel  !  for  thou  art 
As  glorious  to  this  night,  being  o'er  my  head, 
As  is  a  winged  messenger  of  heaven 
Unto  the  white  up-turned  wond'ring  eyes 
Of  mortals,  that  fall  back  to  gaze  on  him, 
When  he  bestrides  the  lazy-pacing  clouds, 
And  sails  upon  the  bosom  of  the  air. 

Juliet.     O  Romeo,  Romeo  !  wherefore  art  thou  Romeo  ? 
Deny  thy  father,  and  refuse  thy  name  ; 
Or,  if  thou  wilt  not,  be  but  sworn  my  love, 
And  I'll  no  longer  be  a  Capulet 

Rom.  [Aside.'}  Shall  I  hear  more,  or  shall  I  speak  at  this  ? 

JuL     'Tis  but  thy  name  that  is  my  enemy;  — 
Thou  art  thyself,  though  not  a  Montague. 
What's  Montague  ?  it  is  nor  hand,  nor  foot, 
Nor  arm,  nor  face,  nor  any  other  part 
Belonging  to  a  man.     O,  be  some  other  name  ! 
What's  in  a  name  ?  that  which  we  call  a  rose 
By  any  other  name  would  smell  as  sweet ; 
So  Romeo  would,  were  he  not  Romeo  call'd, 
Retain  that  dear  perfection  which  he  owes 
Without  that  title.  —  Romeo,  doff  thy  name  ; 
And  for  that  name,  which  is  no  part  of  thee, 
Take  all  myself. 

Shakespeare. 

IX.   THOROUGH   STRESS. 

i.   Law  of  Use. 

In  the  Thorough  Stress  the  Force  continues  about  the 
same  throughout  the  sound.     It  admits  of  the  Expulsive 


STRESS.  175 

and  Explosive  Forms.  It  is  heard  in  the  crowing  of  the 
cock,  the  lowing  of  cattle,  the  calls  of  the-  herdsman,  and 
the  glad  hurrah  of  triumph  or  victory,  all  of  which  echo  the 
truth  of  our  classification  of  the  Thorough  as  a  Vital  Stress. 

The  predominant  significance  of  this  Stress  is  calling, 
which  implies  distance  between  the  speaker  and  the  object 
or  person  addressed  ;  hence  it  is  the  appropriate  Stress  for 
command,  triumph,  shouting,  warning,  apostrophe,  lofty  appeal, 
etc.,  all  of  which  embody  the  idea  of  calling. 

Since  the  illustrative  figures  and  the  general  significance 
of  the  Thorough  Stress  indicate  an  unusual  amount  of 
Quantity  or  length  of  utterance,  care  should  be  taken  not  to 
place  it  on  a  sound  or  syllable  that  is  not  capable  of  being 
prolonged  without  a  drawl  (See  p.  46).  For  instance,  if  one 
wishes  to  call  "Jack,"  he  should  place  the  long  sound  "O," 
as  an  interjection  before  the  name,  and  give  the  Thorough 
Stress  on  that  interjection  —  not  on  the  short  syllable 
"Jack." 

Practice  the  following  selections,  giving  the  Thorough 
Stress  on  the  words  suggested  by  the  context. 

2.   Illustrative  Selections. 

From  VIRGOTA:   A  LAY  OF  ANCIENT  ROME. 

When  Appius  Claudius  saw  that  deed,  he  shudder'd  and  sank 

down, 

And  hid  his  face,  some  little  space,  with  the  corner  of  his  gown, 
Till,  with  white  lips  and  blood-shot  eyes,  Virginius  totter'd  nigh, 
And  stood  before  the  judgment-seat,  and  held  the  knife  on  high : 
"  O  !  dwellers  in  the  nether  gloom,  avengers  of  the  slain, 
By  this  dear  blood  I  cry  to  you,  do  right  between  us  twain ; 
And,  even  as  Appius  Claudius  hath  dealt  by  me  and  mine, 
Deal  thou  by  Appius  Claudius,  and  all  the  Claudian  line  ! " 

Macau  lay. 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

From  THE  CHARCOAL  MAff. 
Though  rudely  blows  the  wintry  blast, 
And  sifting  snows  fall  white  and  fast, 
Mark  Haley  drives  along  the  street, 
Perch'd  high  upon  his  wagon  seat : 
His  sombre  face  the  storm  defies, 
And  thus  from  morn  till  eve  he  cries,  — 

"Charco*!    charco'!" 
While  echo  faint  and  far  replies,  — 

«  Hark,  O  !   hark,  O  ! " 

"  Charco'  !  "  —  "  Hark,  O  ! "  —  Such  cheery  sounds 
Attend  him  on  his  daily  rounds. 

/.  T.  Trowbridge. 

From  CREEDS  OF  THE  BELLS. 

"  In  deeds  of  love  excel  —  excel," 
Chimed  out  from  ivied  towers  a  bell ; 
"  This  is  the  Church  not  built  on  sands, 
Emblem  of  one  not  built  with  hands  : 


Its  forms  and  sacred  rites  revere  ; 
Come  worship  here  —  come  worship  here  ; 
Its  rituals  and  faith  excel  —  excel," 
Chimed  out  th'  Episcopalian  bell. 

"  O,  heed  the  ancient  landmarks  well," 
In  solemn  tones  exclaim'd  a  bell ; 
"  No  progress  made  by  mortal  man 
Can  change  the  just,  eternal  plan  : 
With  God  there  can  be  nothing  new  ; 
Ignore  the  false,  embrace  the  true 
While  all  is  well  —  is  well  —  is  well," 
Peal'd  out  the  good  old  Dutch  Church  bell. 

Geo.  W.  Bungay. 


STRESS.  1 77 

From  MACBETH.    Act  V,  Scene  5. 

Macbeth.     Hang  out  our  banners  on  the  outward  walls  ; 
The  cry  is  still,  They  come  :     Our  castle's  strength 
Will  laugh  a  siege  to  scorn.     Here  let  them  lie 
Till  famine  and  the  ague  eat  them  up  : 
Were  they  not  forc'd  with  those  that  should  be  ours, 
We  might  have  met  them  dareful,  beard  to  beard, 
And  beat  them  backward  home.     What  is  that  noise  ? 

Ring  the  alarum  bell  !  —  Blow,  wind  !   come,  wrack  ! 
At  least  we'll  die  with  harness  on  our  back. 

Shakespeare. 
X.    INTERMITTENT  STRESS. 

i.   Law  of  Use. 

In  the  Intermittent  Stress  the  Force  is  placed  upon 
periodic  parts  of  the  sound.  The  illustrative  figures  show 
that  it  may  be  given  in  all  the  Forms.  Dr.  Rush  has 
treated  this  Stress  from  the  standpoint  of  Pitch,  showing 
the  relative  changes  of  the  little  impulses  or  "  tittles  "  which 
make  the  "tremulo;"  but  if  we  remember  the  essential  fact 
that  all  Stresses  must  be  varied  in  Pitch  when  used  as 
speech-notes,  and  that  these  impulses  are  simply  manifes- 
tations of  Force  in  recurrent,  periodic  places  throughout  the 
sound,  we  must  recognize  it  as  a  Stress. 

Other  writers  following  Dr.  Rush  have  given  excellent 
lists  of  words  showing  the  sentiments  and  emotions  appro- 
priate to  this  Stress,  and  in  no  case  have  we  found  an  in- 
correct statement ;  but  let  us  find  the  underlying  law  upon 
which  the  student  may  rest  these  statements. 

The  physical  agitation  indicated  by  the  Intermittent  Stress 
evidently  places  it  in  the  Vital  division.  We  hear  it  in  the 
opposite  Vital  emotions  of  laughter  and  crying,  of  ecstatic  joy 
and  deep  sorrow,  of  defiant  courage  and  extreme  fright.  In  all 


1 78  PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 

these  we  observe  that  the  whole  body  is  tremulous.  We 
also  observe  that  the  voice  trembles  whenever  the  body  is 
shaken  even  mechanically,  by  the  shaking  of  the  arm  or  leg, 
the  rapid  striking  of  the  chest  or  back,  or  by  the  chilling 
effect  of  sudden  cold.  We  may  also  shake  the  larynx 
mechanically  by  the  alternate  contraction  and  relaxation 
of  the  muscles,  and  the  projection  of  the  Force  in  inter- 
mitting impulses  is  the  result. 

Then  in  expression  we  must  recognize  the  law  that  whatever 
mental,  emotive,  or  physical  condition  produces  agitation  of  body 
must  produce  Intermittent  Stress  during  vocalization.  The  stu- 
dent will  clearly  recognize  the  use  of  this  Stress  in  the  excita- 
bility of  the  above  named  emotions,  and  a  long  list  of  such 
emotions  and  conditions  as  feebleness,  senility,  timidity,  grief, 
tenderness,  pathos,  excited  expectancy,  alarm,  terror,  rage,  etc. 

The  Intermittent  Stress  may  be  given  on  all  the  words 
of  a  clause  or  sentence  since  the  agitation  causing  it  would 
rarely  cease  for  the  unemphatic  words,  but  would  continue 
during  the  entire  utterance.  It  would,  however,  be  made 
more  prominent  on  the  more  emphatic  words. 

2.    Illustrative  Selections. 

From  LADY  CLARE. 
In  there  came  old  Alice  the  nurse, 

Said,  "  Who  was  this  that  went  from  thee  ?  " 
"  It  was  my  cousin,"  said  Lady  Clare, 

"  To-morrow  he  weds  with  me." 

"  O,  God  be  thank'd  !  "  said  Alice  the  nurse, 
"  That  all  comes  round  so  just  and  fair  ; 

Lord  Ronald  is  heir  of  all  your  lands, 
And  you  are  not  the  Lady  Clare." 

"Are  ye  out  of  your  mind,  my  nurse,  my  nurse," 
Said  Lady  Clare,  "  that  ye  speak  so  wild  ?  " 


STRESS.  1 79 

"As  God's  above,"  said  Alice  the  nurse, 
"  I  speak  the  truth  :  you  are  my  child. 

The  old  Earl's  daughter  died  at  my  breast ; 

I  speak  the  truth,  as  I  live  by  bread  ! 
I  buried  her  like  my  own  sweet  child, 

And  put  my  child  in  her  stead." 

Tennyson. 

From  JULIUS  CAESAR-    Act  IV,  Scene  3. 

Cassius.     You  love  me  not. 

Brutus.  I  do  not  like  your  faults. 

Cass.     A  friendly  eye  could  never  see  such  faults. 

Bru.     A  flatterer's  would  not,  though  they  did  appear 

As  huge  as  high  Olympus. 

Cass.     Come,  Antony,  and  young  Octavius,  come, 
Revenge  yourselves  alone  on  Cassius, 
For  Cassius  is  a-weary  of  the  world  ; 
Hated  by  one  he  loves  ;  brav'd  by  his  brother  ; 
Check'd  like  a  bondman  ;  all  his  faults  observ'd, 
Set  in  a  note-book,  learn'd,  and  conn'd  by  rote, 
To  cast  into  my  teeth.     O,  I  could  weep 
My  spirit  from  mine  eyes  !  —  There  is  my  dagger, 
And  here  my  naked  breast  ;  within,  a  heart 
Dearer  than  Plutus'  mine,  richer  than  gold  : 
If  that  thou  be'st  a  Roman,  take  it  forth  ; 
I,  that  denied  thee  gold,  will  give  my  heart : 
Strike,  as  thou  didst  at  Caesar  ;  for  I  know, 
When  thou  didst  hate  him  worst,  thou  lov'dst  him  better 
Than  ever  thou  lov'  dst  Cassius. 

Bru.  Sheath  your  dagger: 

Be  angry  when  you  will,"  it  shall  have  scope  ; 
Do  what  you  will,  dishonour  shall  be  humour. 
O  Cassius,  you  are  yoked  with  a  lamb 


l8O  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

That  carries  anger  as  the  flint  bears  fire  ; 
Who,  much  enforced,  shows  a  hasty  spark, 
And  straight  is  cold  again. 

Cass.  Hath  Cassius  liv'd 

To  be  but  mirth  and  laughter  to  his  Brutus, 
When  grief,  and  blood  ill-temper'd,  vexeth  him  ? 

Bru.     When  I  spoke  that,  I  was  ill-temper'd  too. 

Cass.     Do  you  confess  so  much  ?    Give  me  your  hand. 

Bru.     And  my  heart  too.   * 

Cass.  O  Brutus, — 

Bru.  What's  the  matter  ? 

Cass.     Have  you  not  love  enough  to  bear  with  me, 
When  that  rash  humour  which  my  mother  gave  me 
Makes  me  forgetful  ? 

Bru.  Yes,  Cassius;  and,  henceforth, 

When  you  are  over-earnest  with  your  Brutus, 
He'll  think  your  mother  chides,  and  leave  you  so. 

Shakespeare. 

XI.   RELATIVE  VALUES  OF  THE  TRIUNE  NATURE  IN 
THE  STRESSES. 

Our  general  classification  of  the  subdivisions  of  Force 
(p.  114)  assigns  Stress  to  the  Mental  division.  The  preced- 
ing treatment  of  Stress  warrants  the  following  approximate 
values  :  — 

RADICAL  =  Mental     50,  Vital        40,    Emotive  10,  =  100. 

FINAL  =  Emotive  40,  Vital        40,    Mental    20,  =  100. 

COMPOUND         =  Mental    40,  Emotive  40,   Vital        20,  =  100. 

MEDIAN  =  Emotive  50,  Mental    40,   Vital        10,  =  100. 

THOROUGH         =  Vital        50,  Mental    30,    Emotive  20,  =  100. 

INTERMITTENT  =  Vital        50,  Mental    40,    Emotive  10,  =  100. 

The  aggregate  values  for  each  of  the  three  Natures  gives 
the  Mental  220  (=  first),  the  Vital  210  (=  second),  and 


STRESS.  l8l 

the  Emotive  170  (=  third).  Then  in  Stress  the  Mental 
leads,  followed  closely  by  the  Vital,  and  more  remotely 
by  the  Emotive  Nature. 

XII.    COMBINATIONS  OF  STRESSES  WITH  FORMS  AND 
QUALITIES. 

As  a  mental  exercise  we  now  present  a  diagram  showing 
all  the  possible  combinations  of  the  Stresses  with  the 
Forms  and  Qualities.  The  Degrees  of  Force  are  omitted 
in  order  to  reduce  the  diagram,  but  these  may  be  added  by 
incorporating  the  table  already  given  (p.  153).  In  the  blank 
space  opposite  each  Stress  the  student  should  write  the 
appropriate  kind  of  thought,  sentiment,  or  emotion  for  the 
given  combination,  without  repeating  any  word.  He  may 
modify  a  word,  e.  g.,  joy,  lighter  joy  ;  sorrow,  deepest  sorrow  ; 
irony,  irony  with  anger ;  but  the  strictest  adherence  to  this 
condition  will  furnish  a  mental  discipline  equivalent  to  that 
claimed  for  similar  exercises  in  the  sister  sciences. 

We  suggest  that  the  pupil  first  write  his  answers  to  these 
combinations  on  a  separate  sheet  of  paper  for  the  criticism 
of  the  instructor  and  for  further  revision  before  finally 
writing  them  in  the  blank  spaces  of  the  book. 


_. Median 

,  Normal.-- 

~~~"~--- Jntermi 


-Intermittent. 


Median 


.Orotund,..- _ 

~~     — -.Intermittent 


/.-''  .Median 

EFFUSI  VE/r.'I OraI.--_- -  " 


Jntermittent. 

Median 

---  Jntermittent  - 

__Median 
\PectoraU.---- 

~  ~-- — Intermittent- 


1 82  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


NbrmaL,'/£ll  ______  Compound 


xxlntennittent 
^Radical 


__ 
i:.'-  ______  Compound 


^ 

x  -Intermittent 

„  Radical 

^    Pinal 
,'-'-'' 
L'-"-  _______  Compound 


I''   „'''  %xjntennittent 

EXPULSIVE^;'  ^adical 


„ 

\\          X  ,''--'''' 

\\  "^  Aspirate4r-'I        ----  Compound 


\  Radical 

\  /*  ^,Final 

x         xGuttural^rll  ______  Compound 


^Jntermittent 

« 

^Radical 


Compound 
-  .Thorough 
v  Jntermittent 


STRESS. 


^Radical 
,-'''^,.  Final      . 
-r;:  -----  -Compound 

^-O"--  -Thorough 
^"Jntermittent 
^Radical 


l'_1  -----  .Compound 


ntermittent 
Radical 


^-!-  ------  Compound 

xvx~~  ---Thorough 
~XIntermittent 
^Radical 


VG.uttural^rr_'_'.'  _____  Compound 
"^^""-•-Thorotrgh 
XxJntermittent 


XIII.   VOCAL  EXERCISES  IN  STRESS. 

In  the  chapter  on  Voice  Culture  (p.  37)  we  have  seen  the 
necessity  for  flexibility  of  voice ;  the  following  exercises 
are  designed  to  give  this  flexibility  :  — 

1.  Give  all  or  as  many  of  the  tonic  sounds  (p.   45)   as 
desirable  in  all  of  the  above  .combinations  of  Stress^  Form, 
and  Quality. 

2.  Give    the   tonics  in    all  the     Stresses    in    the    order 
named  (p.  162)  first  slowly  and  then  in  rapid  succession. 

3.  Give  the  same  in  Moderate  and  Energetic  Degrees  of 
Force. 

4.  Give  the  same  in  middle,  low,  and  high  key. 

5.  Give  the  same  in  upward  and  downward  Slide. 


184  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

To  represent  this  to  the  eye  the  illustrative  figures  (p.  1 62)  should 
be  reproduced  on  the  blackboard  as  notes  of  speech  in  their 
rising  and  falling  positions. 

6.  Repeat  the  preceding  exercises  using  words  that 
can  be  prolonged  without  a  drawl  (p.  65)  such  as  me,  nay, 
arm,  all,  roll,  full,  ton,  joy. 


CHAPTER   III.  — PITCH. 

Pitch  is  that  element  of  expression  which  relates  to  the 
location,  variation,  and  succession  of  speech  notes  on  the 
scale.  By  location  is  meant  the  point  in  the  compass  of 
voice  at  which  a  sound  is  uttered  ;  by  variation  is  meant 
the  transition  from  one  point  of  Pitch  to  another ;  and  by 
succession  is  meant  the  relative  position  of  notes  in  discourse. 
These  divisions  are  called  respectively,  —  Degree,  Change, 
and  Melody. 

Pitch  is  determined  not  by  the  timbre  of  the  sound  nor 
by  its  volume,  but  by  the  number  of  the  vibrations  of  the 
sounding  body  which  occur  in  a  given  time.  The  marvelous 
changes  of  Pitch  necessary  to  express  different  states  of 
the  mind  are  effected  by  the  degrees  of  tension  of  the 
vocal  cords  and  by  the  vertical  movements  of  the  larynx. 
According  to  physiologists  the  greatest  variation  in  the 
length  of  the  cords  in  voice  production  from  the  gravest  to 
the  most  acute  tones,  is  but  an  eighth  of  an  inch,  while 
that  of  the  upward  and  downward  movement  of  the  larynx 
is  about  an  inch. 

With  respect  to  Pitch,  sounds,  whether  produced  by  the 
human  voice  or  by  any  other  means,  may  be  separated*  into 
two  classes,  Tunable  and  Untunable. 

I.  TUNABLE  SOUND. 

Tunable  sounds  consist  of  regular  vibrations.  The  waves 
of  air  produced  by  the  vibrating  body  strike  the  ear-drum  at 
regularly  recurrent  intervals.  The  constituent  vibrations  of 
such  tones  are  periodic,  so  that  there  is  no  jar  or  clash  in 
their  succession.  The  kinds  of  tunable  sound  are  :  Song, 
which  includes  all  strictly  musical  sound  ;  and  Speech* 

1  Song-notes  and  speech-notes  have  already  been  briefly  referred  to  (p.  115). 

185 


1 86  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

A  Note  of  Song  is  a  sound  produced  on  a  continuous 
or  level  plane  of  Pitch.  In  a  succession  of  such  notes  the 
first  is  held  its  due  time  ;  then,  after  an  interruption,  the 
voice  either  strikes  the  next  tone  on  the  same  Degree  or 
passing  by  a  slur  or  step  to  another  plane,  attacks  a  new 
tone  in  the  same  manner. 

A  Note  of  Speech  is  a  sound  that  is  carried  from  one 
Degree  of  the  scale  to  another  without  being  held  appreci- 
ably at  any  particular  point.  From  the  first  point  of 
contact,  the  tones  proceed  either  upward  or  downward 
throughout  their  length,  touching  all  the  Degrees  from  the 
opening  to  the  close  of  the  tone  withou*  dwelling  on  any 
of  them. 

i.    Song-notes  and  Speech-notes  Contrasted. 

Song  attacks  tone  horizontally,  speech  vertically;  the 
one  proceeds  on  Pitch,  the  other  through  Pitch  ;  the  one  is 
uniform  in  elevation  while  it  exists,  the  other  is  constantly 
varying ;  the  one  is  heard  through  intervals,  the  other  at 
the  boundaries  of  intervals ;  song-notes  may  be  illustrated 
by  "  stopping  "  a  vibrating  violin  string  at  different  intervals 
on  the  finger-board,  —  speech-notes  by  sliding  the  finger  up 
or  down  the  vibrating  string. 

It  is  the  design  in  music  always  to  please  or  delight, 
hence  purity  df  tone  is  the  first  essential  of  song.  Speech 
is  not  necessarily  pure  in  Quality ;  anger  and  disgust  and 
other  passions  that  jar  the  mind  are  not  properly  expressed 
in  absolutely  clear  tones. 

It  should  be  noted  in  this  connection  that  song  is  more 
fatiguing  to  the  voice  than  speech.  During  the  progress 
of  a  note  of  song  the  cords  must  be  held  in  a  uniform 
position  ;  in  speech  they  are  constantly  varying  in  tension 
and  therefore  resting. 

Edmund  Burke  in  the  trial  of  Hastings  opened  with  a  four 
days'  speech  and  closed  with  a  nine  days'  speech.  It  would  have 
been  quite  a  different  undertaking  to  sing  for  so  long  a  time. 


PITCH. 


I87 


2.   Points  of  Resemblance. 

It  is  clear  that  both  Song  and  Speech  have  'Melodies,  that  of 
song  being  the  more  exact.  Both  have  slides  and  skips. 
The  slur  of  song  is  identical  with  the  slide  of  speech  except 
that  as  a  transitional  tone  it  has  not  the  fullness  of  the 
speech  note,  the  voice  passing  very  lightly  over  the  interval. 
The  portamento  more  nearly  than  any  other  act  of  song  — 
aside  from  the  steps  which  are  identical  —  resembles  the 
slide  of  speech. 

In  illustrating  this  resemblance  graphically  we  have 
departed  somewhat  from  the  prevailing  system  of  musical 
notation  in  adopting  the  following  characters,  which,  if  less 
economical  in  space  are  at  least  more  significant  of  the 
element  of  Time  : 

whole  note 

half  note 


NOTES   OF   SONG.^ 


—  quarter  note 

—  eighth  note 

—  sixteenth  note 

—  thirty-second  note 


3.   Evolution  of  the  Speech-note. 

The  following  figures  are  designed  to  show  the  evolution 
of  the  speech-note  from  notes  of  song : 


Fig.  I. 


) 

/ 

j 

i            i 

(^ 

\r 

=== 

£ 

)\            i 

'            ' 

c 

La,          la,          la,               la,          la,          la. 

188 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


Sound  the  syllable  la  in  each  of  the  notes  as  in  Fig.  i ,  giv- 
ing them  their  full  time  and  making  the  contact  and 
release  exactly  on  the  points  of  pitch  indicated  ;  then  sound 
the 


Fig.  2. 


; 

| 

J 

A 

Nt==^ 

t 

Jc==f 

N'           ^ 

<• 

La,                                          la. 

same  notes,  joining  them  with  the  slur  as  indicated  in  the 
second  figure. 

Fig.  3. 


) 

> 

b         ^^ 

^^ 

^ 

A     E= 

^^ 

t 

H 

^^ 

<• 

La,                          la, 

Next  sound  quarter  notes,  joining  them  as  before  with 
the  slur. 


r.  4 


r 

> 

K             / 

3 

/- 

A    F* 

B 

>L 

> 

5 

C 

La,                          la. 

Sound  eighth  notes,  as  in  Fig.  4,  slurring  the  notes. 


PITCH. 
Fig.  5. 

1 

/ 

i  r 

R^ 

'r 

V 

H 

I 

2 

* 

89 


La,  la. 

\        / 

Sound  sixteenth  notes,  as  in  Fig.  5,  slurring  the  notes. 
Fig.  6. 


la. 


So  we  might  continue  shortening  the  time  of  these  notes 
as  in  Fig.  6,  at  the  same  time  giving  more  weight  to  the 
transitional  part  of  the  tone,  until  no  appreciable  time  is 
spent  on  any  particular  point  of  pitch,  and  thus  evolve  the 
speech-note  as  shown  in  ]Jig.  7.* 

Fig.  7. 


La,   la. 


1  William  E.  Gladstone,  in  a  letter  to  the  late  Professor  Plumptre  of  King's 
College,  London,  wrote  as  follows  in  regard  to  notes  of  speech :  "  We  really  in 
our  speeches,  as,  indeed,  in  ordinary  conversation,  run  up  and  down  the  scale 
without  giving  any  heed  to  it ;  not,  it  is  true,  with  the  separate  and  full  notes  of 
song  but  with  partially  formed  notes  that  melt  or  slide,  as  it  were,  into  one 
another,  either  ascending  or  descending  in  the  musical  scale." 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


4.    Wrong  Use  of  Song-notes  in  Speech. 

Song  should  never  be  introduced  into  speech  except  in  those 
rare  cases  where  it  is  employed  for  purposes  of  imitation  or 
impersonation.  The  sing-song  style,  sometimes  called  the 
"  Puritanical  whine,"  is  a  combination  of  speech  and  song. 
It  may  be  illustrated  with  the  following  stanza  :  — 

From  COirrnOJED  HELP. 

When  all  thy  mercies,  O  my  God, 
My  rising  soul  surveys, 
Transported  with  the  view  I  'm  lost 
In  wonder,  love,  and  praise. 

Joseph  Addison. 

The  principal  syllables  are  generally  unduly  drawn  out, 
held  on  a  level  plane  of  Pitch,  and  then  finally  given  the 
speech-note.  In  certain  syllables  that  end  with  vowels  or 
liquids  the  note  of  song  is  again  added  at  the  last  of  the 
impulse,  thus  :  — 


1  1 

/  1               ' 

f 

> 

M 

/ 

"N       /F3!       /F3 

/T^ 

I 

£ 

^Xl                                1 

c=±y 

c=±7 

C=N^ 

d 

ALL                      MERCIES 
RlS  •  INQ       i             SOUL 

SUR  -  VEYS 

GOD 

II 
II 

ii 

1       5           

iTRANSPO-RTEDJ           VIEW 
1                  

LOST 

! 

|       WONDER                     LOVE 

PRAISE 

The  last  syllable  is  usually  sounded  lower  in  Pitch  but  with 
the  same  "  song-speech  "  note  and  without  a  Cadence. 


DEGREE    OF    PITCH.  IQI 

II.   UNTUNABLE  SOUND. 

Untunable  sounds  consist  of  irregular  vibrations,  i.  e., 
such  as  are  not  periodical  and  do  not  occur  at  appreciable 
intervals  of  time.  Untunable  sound  jars,  while  tunable 
sound  soothes,  the  nerves.  All  noise  is  untunable.  Such 
sounds  are  heard  in  the  crash  of  falling  timbers,  the  slam- 
ming of  a  door,  or  the  rattle  of  a  wagon  over  a  stony  street. 

III.   RELATION  OF   PITCH   TO  THE   TRIUNE   NATURE. 

Our  general  diagram  of  the  Elements  of  Expression 
(p.  87)  shows  the  relation  of  Pitch  to  Man's  Triune  Nature  ; 
for  the  sake  of  convenience  we  have  reproduced  a  section 
of  this  diagram. 

^J.  Vital  ________  Degree  ___  .^ 

—---  IL  MentaL  ------  Change 


R  in  ~-  --'      (a  generic  vo- 

"--•111.  Emotive  ______  Melody  __  --""'  cal  element) 

Here  as  in  Force  Degree  marks  Vitality;  the  high  or 
low  Degree  of  a  tone  shows  its  vitality.  A  Change  of  Pitch 
from  one  Degree  to  another  modulates  the  voice  into  language 
and  reveals  its  Mentality.  The  continued  succession  of 
notes  in  pleasing  or  discordant  Melody  manifests  the 
Emotion  of  utterance. 

The  further  truth  of  this  analogy  will  be  shown  in  the 
fuller  treatment  of  Degree,  Change,  and  Melody. 


SECTION   I.  — DEGREE    OF   PITCH. 

Degree  of  Pitch  relates  not  only  to  the  compass  or 
range  of  voice  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  tone,  but 
also  to  the  position  on  the  scale  given  to  a  particular 
utterance.  The  various  Degrees  of  Pitch  are  relative  and 


1 92 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


are  regulated  by  the  rate  of  vibrations  of  the  vocal  cords. 
Some  voices  are  high  in  range,  while  others  are  low  ;  some 
are  wide  in  range,  while  others  are  either  narrow  or  employ 
but  few  notes  in  their  melody. 

I.   COMPASS  OF  THE  SPEAKING  VOICE. 

The  average  compass  of  the  speaking  voice,  not  includ- 
ing the  Falsetto  which  has  a  scale  as  well  as  a  Quality  of 
its  own,  is  something  less  than  two  octaves,  —  say  about 
thirteen  or  fourteen  notes.  For  convenience  this  compass 
is  divided  into  five  parts,  called  Degrees :  the  Middle,  the 
Low,  the  Very  Low,  the  High,  and  the  Very  High.  The 
following  diagram  is  designed  to  show  the  several  Degrees 
of  Pitch,  and  the  range  on  the  musical  scale  of  the  average 
voice  :  — 


DEGREES  «< 


D 
C 

Very  High 

B 
A 
G 

High 

F 
E 
D 
C 

Middle 

B 
A 

Low 

G 

:  F 

Very  Low 

1.  The  Middle  Degree,  as  shown  in  the  diagram,  includes 
about  four  notes  of  the  compass,  let  us  say  C,  D,  E,  and  F 
of  the  musical  scale.     It  is  employed  so  much  more  fre- 
quently than  any  other  Degree  that  it  may  be  said  to  be  the 
rule,  the  basis,  the  starting  point  of  delivery. 

2.  The  Low  Degree  ranges  about  two  tones  lower  than 
the  Middle  ;  for  the  average  voice  it  includes  B  and  A  of 
the  musical  scale. 

3.  The  Very  Low  Degree   has  a  range  of   about   two 
notes,  G  and  F,  below  the  Low. 


DEGREE    OF    PITCH.  1 93 

4.  The  High  Degree  comprises  about  three  tones  of  the 
scale,  G,  A,  and  B.     The  wider  range  in  the  higher  Degrees 
is  accounted  for  in  the  fact  that  our  ordinary  speaking  Pitch 
is  a  little  below  the  middle  of  the  compass. 

5.  The  Very  High  ranges  about  two  notes,  C  and  D, 
higher  than  the  High  Degree. 

The  voice  ranges  easily  from  one  part  of  the  compass  to 
another,  each  Degree  being  associated  and  blended  with  those 
next  to  it.  The  Higher  Degrees  are  intimately  associated, 
as  are  also  the  Lower  ;  and  the  Middle  is  usually  accom- 
panied by  some  notes  of  both  the  High  and  the  Low  Degrees. 

We  find,  for  example,  that  in  Nature  and  consequently  in 
proper  expression,  the  sentiment  of  reverence  requires  Low 
Degree  of  Pitch.  But  while  that  is  the  average  Pitch  for 
this  sentiment  as  a  style  of  thought,  it  may  also  range 
through  the  Middle  and  Very  Low.  The  exact  position 
is  dependent  upon  the  sentiment,  whether  it  be  that  of 
joy  or  sorrow.  When  not  moved  by  any  unusual  emotion 
we  express  our  normal  thoughts,  calm  reasoning,  didactic  and 
ordinary  argumentative  discourse  in  the  middle  part  of  the 
compass  ;  but  the  moment  the  feeling  of  solemnity,  adoration, 
or  awe  takes  hold  of  the  mind  the  voice  seeks  a  lower  range 
for  expression.  In  all  nature  subdued  emotions,  deeply  serious 
or  gloomy  thoughts  find  expression  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
compass  ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  when  joy,  delight,  alarm, 
or  defiance  move  us,  they  find  expression  in  the  higher 
ranges  of  Pitch. 

As  we  have  scales  for  measuring  distance,  and  the  tem- 
perature and  pressure  of  the  air,  so  we  may  have  a  graduated 
scale  of  Pitch  for  registering  the  utterance  of  different 
thoughts  and  passions.  Let  us  indicate  these  so  that  the 
student  may  without  difficulty  determine  the  Pitch  of  any 
sentiment.  The  following  diagram  is  designed  to  show  the 
approximate  limitations  of  Form  and  Quality  in  the  several 
Degrees  of  Pitch. 


194 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


II.    SCALE  OF  LIMITATIONS  AND  RANGE  OF  PITCH. 
EFFUSIVE  EXPULSIVE EXPLOSIVE 


z 

~cr- 


— =-»o-- 


.__>___o__ 

ro       H 

i       c 


i.    Explanation  of  the  Scale. 

The  student  will  observe  the  similarity  between  the  plan 
of  this  scale  and  that  in  Degrees  of  Force  (p.  153).  Having 
familiarized  himself  with  one,  he  understands  the  use  of  the 
other.  The  truth  of  these  limitations  and  ranges  of  Form 
and  Quality  in  Pitch  may  be  proved  in  Nature  and  expres- 
sion by  the  course  of  reasoning  which  is  followed  out  in  the 
treatment  of  the  scale  of  Force.  The  two  diagrams  harmo- 
nize perfectly.  However,  that  this  section  may  not  seem 
incomplete  in  itself,  we  call  attention  to  a  few  of  the  most 
important  limitations. 

Normal  Effusive  as  we  have  already  shown,  is  heard  in 
the  expression  of  solemnity ',  tranquillity,  and  pathos?-  As  this 

l  For  the  kinds  of  thought  and  emotion  expressed  by  these  combinations,  the 
student  is  again  referred  to  the  table  on  page  124. 


DEGREE    OF    PITCH.  1 95 

combination  of  Quality  and  Form  is  limited  to  Low,  Middle, 
and  a  part  of  High  Degree  of  Pitch,  it  follows  that  these 
sentiments  may  range  easily  over  this  part  of  the  speaking 
compass.  The  pathos  of  joy  requires  a^  higher  range  than 
the  pathos  of  sorrow;  poetic  and  imaginative  features  of 
tranquillity  carry  expression  higher  in  Pitch  than  simple 
repose;  but  all  would  come  within  the  prescribed  limi- 
tations. Furthermore  the  lowest  note  of  the  Normal 
would  not  vibrate  in  the  Very  Low  Pitch.  Our  diagram 
shows  that  only  the  Orotund  and  Pectoral  Qualities  range 
in  the  Very  Low  Degree  ;  this  is  a  result  of  physiological 
causes. 

The  Normal  Expulsive  will  be  found  to  have  a  range 
through  Low,  Middle,  and  High  Degrees.  It  follows,  then, 
that  ordinary  conversation,  didactic  thought,  and  gladness,  the 
styles  appropriately  read  in  Expulsive  Normal,  will  find 
correct  expression  only  in  those  Degrees.  This  combina- 
tion of  the  ordinary  or  usual  Form  and  Quality  naturally 
ranges  in  ordinary  or  most  usual  Degrees  of  Pitch ;  it 
neither  reaches  the  highest  nor  the  lowest  Degrees. 

The  Normal  Explosive  —  the  appropriate  combination 
for  the  utterance  of  gaiety,  joy,  laughter,  and  earnestness  — 
is  limited  in  expression  to  the  Middle,  High,  and  Very 
High  Degrees  of  the  scale.  This  is  the  only  combination 
which  reaches  the  highest  limit  of  Very  High  Pitch.  The 
intensity  of  the  Explosive,  it  will  be  observed,  does  not  run 
into  the  Low  or  Very  Low  at  all. 

The  Orotund  Effusive,  as  we  have  seen,  is  used  to 
express  reverence,  sublimity,  and  devotion;  when  applied  to 
the  scale  of  Pitch  it  is  found  that  this  combination  of  Form 
and  Quality  will  range  over  three  full  Degrees,  the  Middle, 
Low,  and  Very  Low;  and  it  must  follow  that  the  sentiments 
just  referred  to  find  their  expression  in  these  same  Degrees. 

The  Orotund  Expulsive,  appropriately  applied  to  the 
utterance  of  grandeur,  patriotism,  and  oratorical  thought, 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

ranges  through  a  part  of  the  Low  Degree,  all  of  Middle  and 
High,  and  a  part  of  Very  High. 

And  in  like  manner  the  Orotund  Explosive,  heard  in  the 
expression  of  courage,  defiance,  and  alarm,  finds  its  range  in 
Pitch  in  the  Middle,  High,  and  Very  High  Degrees. 

So  we  might  reason  with  regard  to  each  of  the  other 
Forms  and  Qualities,  but  what  has  been  given  will  be 
sufficient  to  guide  the  pupil  aright  in  his  study  of  Degrees 
of  Pitch. 

The  Degree  of  Pitch  used  will  vary  somewhat  with  the 
size  of  the  audience.  It  is  the  natural  tendency  to  elevate 
the  Pitch  in  order  that  the  voice  may  reach  a  greater 
distance.  This  is  sometimes  necessary  for  the  greatest  ease, 
but  much  care  should  be  exercised  not  to  allow  the  voice  to 
reach  a  Pitch  so  high  as  to  degenerate  into  a  screech. 

III.    ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS. 

I.  The  Middle  Degree  predominates  in  the  following 
passages  :  — 

From  LADY  CLARE. 

She  clad  herself  in  a  russet  gown, 

She  was  no  longer  Lady  Clare  : 
She  went  by  dale,  and  she  went  by  down, 

With  a  single  rose  in  her  hair. 

The  lily-white  doe  Lord  Ronald  had  brought, 

Leapt  up  from  where  she  lay, 
Dropt  her  head  in  the  maiden's  hand, 

And  follow'd  her  all  the  way. 

Tennyson. 

From  A  LEGEltD  OF  THE  RED  ROSE. 

Cooler  grew  the  shades  of  even, 

Fiercer  waged  the  conflict  now, 
Till  at  last  the  Peace  of  Heaven 

Fell  upon  the  beaded  Brow. 


DEGREE    OF    PITCH.  1 97 

And  the  precious  benediction 

Of  Purity  and  Love  that  bled 
Fell  upon  the  weeping  roses  — 

Clothed  them  all  in  deepest  red. 

Olive  E.  F.  Tiffany. 

From  MUCH  ADO  ABOUT  NOTHING.    Act  III,  Scene  i. 

Ursula.  But  are  you  sure 

That  Benedick  loves  Beatrice  so  entirely  ? 

Hero.     So  says  the  Prince  and  my  new-trothed  lord. 

Urs.     And  did  they  bid  you  tell  her  of  it,  madam? 

Hero.     They  did  entreat  me  to  acquaint  her  of  it ; 
But  I  persuaded  them,  if  they  loved  Benedick, 
To  wish  him  wrestle  with  affection, 
And  never  to  let  Beatrice  know  of  it. 

Shakespeare. 

From  THE  MINUTE  MAN. 

The  Minute  Man  of  the  Revolution  !  And  who  was  he  ?  He 
was  the  husband  and  father,  who  left  the  plough  in  the  furrow, 
the  hammer  on  the  bench,  and,  kissing  his  wife  and  children, 
marched  to  die  or  to  be  free  I  He  was  the  old,  the  middle-aged, 
the  young.  He  was  Captain  Miles,  of  Acton,  who  reproved  his 
men  for  jesting  on  the  march!  He  was  Deacon  Josiah  Hatnes,  of 
Sudbury,  eighty  years  old,  who  marched  with  his  company  to  South 
Bridge,  at  Concord,  then  joined  in  that  hot  pursuit  to  Lexington, 
and  fell  as  gloriously  as  Warren  at  Bunker  Hill.  He  was  James 
Hayward,  of  Acton,  twenty-two  years  old,  foremost  in  that  deadly 
race  from  Charlestown  to  Concord,  who  raised  his  piece  at  the 
same  moment  with  a  British  soldier,  each  exclaiming  "  You  are 
a  dead  man  ! "  The  Briton  dropped,  shot  through  the  heart. 
Hayward  fell,  mortally  wounded.  "Father"  said  he,  "I  started 
with  forty  balls;  I  have  three  left.  I  never  did  such  a  day's  work 
before.  Tell  mother  not  to  mourn  too  much  ;  and  tell  her  whom 
I  love  more  than  my  mother  that  I  am  not  sorry  I  turned  out."  — 
Curtiss. 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

2.  Low  Degree  predominates  in  the  following  extracts:  — 

From  A  LOST  CHORD. 

Seated  one  day  at  the  organ, 

I  was  weary  and  ill  at  ease, 
And  my  fingers  wander'd  idly 

Over  the  noisy  keys. 

I  do  not  know  what  I  was  playing, 

Or  what  I  was  dreaming  then, 
But  I  struck  one  chord  of  music, 

Like  the  sound  of  a  great  Amen. 

Adelaide  Procter. 

From  JULIUS  CJESAR.    Act  II,  Scene  i. 

It  must  be  by  his  death:  and,  for  my  part, 

I  know  no  personal  cause  to  spurn  at  him, 

But  for  the  general.     He  would  be  crowned  : 

How  that  might  change  his  nature,  there's  the  question : 

It  is  the  bright  day  that  brings  forth  the  adder; 

And  that  craves  wary  walking.     Crown  him  ?  —  that : 

And  then,  I  grant,  we  put  a  sting  in  him, 

That  at  his  will  he  may  do  danger  with. 

Shakespeare. 

From  PSALM  LXXXVILL.    Verses  1-3. 

O  Lord  God  of  my  salvation,  I  have  cried  day  and  night  before 
thee. 

Let  my  prayer  come  before  thee  :  incline  thine  ear  unto  my  cry; 

For  my  soul  is  full  of  troubles,  and  my  life  draweth  nigh  unto 
the  grave. 

3.  Very  Low  Degree.     The  underscored  parts  of  the  fol- 
lowing illustrations  may  take  the  lowest  notes  of  the  com- 
pass :  — 

From  MACBETH.    Act  V,  Scene  5. 

To-morrow,  and  to-morrow,  and  to-morrow, 
Creeps  in  this  petty  pace  from  day  to  day, 


DEGREE    OF    PITCH.  199 

To  the  last  syllable  of  recorded  time  ; 
And  all  our  yesterdays  have  lighted  fools 
The  way  to  dusty  death.     Out,  out,  brief  candle  ! 
Life's  but  a  walking  shadow;  a  poor  player, 
That  struts  and  frets  his  hour  upon  the  stage, 
And  then  is  heard  no  more  :  it  is  a  tale 
Told  by  an  idiot,  full  of  sound  and  fury, 
Signifying  nothing. 

Shakespeare. 

From  JULIUS  CJESA.R.    Act  IV,  Scene  3. 

Brutus.     How  ill  this  tapir  burns  !  —  [Enter  Ghost  o/c^sar.}  Ha  ! 

who  comes  here  ? 

I  think  it  is  the  weakness  of  mine  eyes 
That  shapes  this  monstrous  apparition. 
It  comes  upon  me.  —  Art  thou  anything? 
Art  thou  some  god,  some  angel,  or  some  devil, 
That  makes  my  blood  cold,  and  my  hair  to  stare  ? 
Speak  to  me  what  thou  art 

Ghost.     Thy  evil  spirit,  Brutus. 

Bru.  Why  comest  thou  ? 

Ghost.     To  tell  thee  thou  shalt  see  me  at  Philippi. 

Bru.     Well ;  then  I  shall  see  thee  again  ? 

Ghost.     Ay,  at  Philippi. 

Bru.     Why,  I  will  see  thee  at  Philippi,  then. 

\Ghost  vanishes, ,] 

Now  I  have  taken  heart  thou  vanishest : 
111  spirit,  I  would  hold  more  talk  with  thee. 

Shakespeare. 

From  CATO'S  SOLILOQUY. 

It  must  be  so,  —  Plato,  thou  reason'st  well !  — 
Else,  whence  this  pleasing  hope,  this  fond  desire, 
This  longing  after  immortality? 


2OO  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Or  whence  this  secret  dread  and  inward  horror 

Of  falling  into  nought  ?     Why  shrinks  the  soul 

Back  on  herself,  and  startles  at  destruction  ?  — 

'Tis  the  Divinity  that  stirs  within  us  ; 

'Tis  Heaven  itself  that  points  out  an  Hereafter, 

And  intimates  Eternity  to  man. 

Eternity  !  —  thou  pleasing,  dreadful  thought ! 

Through  what  variety  of  untried  being, 

Through  what  new  scenes  and  changes  must  we  pass  ! 

The  wide,  th'  unbounded  prospect  lies  before  me  ; 

But  shadows,  clouds  and  darkness  rest  upon  it. 

Addison. 

4.   The  High  Degree  of  Pitch  predominates  in  the  follow- 
ing passages  : 

From  PAUL  REVERE'S  RIDE. 

And,  lo  !  as  he  looks,  on  the  belfry's  height, 
A  glimmer,  and  then  a  gleam  of  light ! 
He  springs  to  the  saddle,  the  bridle  he  turns, 
But  lingers  and  gazes,  till  full  on  his  sight 
A  second  lamp  in  the  belfry  burns  ! 

A  hurry  of  hoofs  in  a  village-street, 
A  shape  in  the  moonlight,  a  bulk  in  the  dark, 
And  beneath  from  the  pebbles,  in  passing,  a  spark 
Struck  out  by  a  steed  that  flies  fearless  and  fleet 

Longfellow. 
From  JULIUS  CJESAR.    Act  IV,  Scene  3. 

Brutus.  I  did  send 

To  you  for  gold  to  pay  my  legions, 
Which  you  denied  me.     Was  that  done  like  Cassius  ? 
Should  I  have  answered  Caius  Cassius  so  ? 
When  Marcus  Brutus  grows  so  covetous, 
To  lock  such  rascal  counters  from  his  friends, 
Be  ready,  gods,  with  all  your  thunderbolts, 
Dash  him  to  pieces  ! 


DEGREE    OF    PITCH.  2OI 

Cassius.  I  denied  you  not. 

Bru.     You  did. 

Cass.  I  did  not :  he  was  but  a  fool  that  brought 

My  answer  back. 

Shakespeare. 
From  THE  NEW  YEAR. 

Ring  out,  wild  bells,  to  the  wild  sky, 
The  flying  cloud,  the  frosty  light ; 
The  year  is  dying  in  the  night ; 

Ring  out,  wild  bells,  and  let  him  die. 

Ring  out  the  old,  ring  in  the  new ; 

Ring,  happy  bells,  across  the  snow ; 

The  year  is  going  ;  let  him  go  ; 
Ring  out  the  false  ;  ring  in  the  true. 

Ring  out  the  grief,  that  saps  the  mind, 
For  those  that  here  we  see  no  more  : 
Ring  out  the  feud  of  rich  and  poor  ; 

Ring  in  redress  to  all  mankind. 

Tennyson. 

5.   Very  High  Degree.     The  underscored  parts  may  be 
read  with  the  highest  notes  in  the  compass. 


From  KING  JOHN.     Act  II,  Scene  i. 

Rejoice,  you  men  of  Angiers,  ring  your  bells  ; 
King  John,  your  king  and  England's,  doth  approach. 

Open  your  gates,  and  give  the  victors  way. 

Shakespeare. 

From  HORATIUS  AT  THE  BRIDGE. 

But  meanwhile  axe  and  lever 

Have  manfully  been  plied, 
And  now  the  bridge  hangs  tottering 

Above  the  boiling  tide. 


202  PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 

"  Come  back,  come  back,  Horatius  !  " 

Loud  cried  the  Fathers  all ; 
"  Back,  Lartius  !    back,  Herminius  ! 


Back,  ere  the  ruin  fall !  " 


Macaulay. 


From  MACBETH.    Act  II,  Scene  x. 

Awake,  awake  !  — 

Ring  the  alarum-bell.  —  Murder  and  treason  !  — 
Banquo  and  Malcolm  !     Donalbain  !    awake  ! 
Shake  off  this  downy  sleep,  death's  counterfeit, 
And  look  on  death  itself  !    up,  up,  and  see 
The  great  doom's  image  !    Malcolm  !    Banquo  !    all ! 
As  from  your  graves  rise  up,  and  walk  like  sprites, 


To  countenance  this  horror. 


[A  larum-bett  rings. 

Shakespeare. 


IV.   VOCAL  CULTURE  IN  DEGREES  OF  PITCH. 

i.  Sound  a,  e,  I,  and  0  separately,  in  alternate  slides 
through  the  interval  of  each  particular  Degree  ;  then  in 
alternate  slides  through  the  entire  compass  of  voice,  as 
shown  in  the  accompanying  figure. 


DEGREES.  > 


VERY   HIGH 

: 
0 

J  "V    l"\ 

HIGH 

o  o  o 

JM 

MIDDLE 

0 
0 
0 
0 

ni  \ 

Low 

0 

0 

J"\\  / 

VERY   Low 

c 
- 

Z3G     1 

In  order  that  this  may  be  done  most  easily  and  successfully,  the 
student  is  advised  to  begin  with  the  Middle,  then  follow  with  the 
Low,  Very  Low,  High,  and  Very  High  respectively. 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  2C»3 

One  may  find  his  Middle  Degree  of  Pitch  by  asking  aloud  in  an 
unimpassioned  way  this  question,  "  Did  I  say  yes  or  no?  "  Then 
omitting  "  Did  I  say  "  let  him  with  the  same  inflections,  substitute 
the  sound  of  a  for  each  of  the  words  "  yes  "  and  "  no  "  retaining 
the  conjunction  "  or."  Having  found  his  Middle  Degree  it  will  be 
easy  to  make  comparison  with  those  above  and  below. 

2.  Sound  a,  e,  a,  and  6  in  notes  of  song  throughout  the 
compass.     Let  there  be  a  gentle  swell  of  the  voice  on  each 
tone. 

3.  Using  a  musical  instrument  as  a  guide  to  exactness, 
speak  the  sounds  a,  e,  1,  and  6  and  selected  words  on  every 
tone    "from  the   lowest  note  to  the  top  of  the  compass." 
Let  each  musical  tone  be  used  simply  as  a  point  of  open- 
ing for  the  speech-note. 

4.  Sound  the  syllables  la,  sea,  da,  and  ba  in  notes  of 
song  in  the  three  Forms,  through  the  entire  range  of  Pitch. 

5.  Give  a,  e,  1,  0,  u,  oi,  and  OU  in  all  Degrees  of  Pitch 
without  any  change  of  Force. 

6.  Give  sounds  and  words  in  Low,  Middle,  and  High 
Degrees,  through  all  the  limitations  in  Form  and  Quality  as 
shown  in  the  Diagram  (p.  194). 

7.  Sing  an  octave  in  the  Normal,  in  the  Orotund,  and  in 
the  Falsetto  Qualities. 

8.  Comparison  of  Force  and  Pitch.     Sound  6  twice  : 

(1)  Increasing  Force  and  elevating  Pitch. 

(2)  Increasing  Force  without  elevating  Pitch. 

(3)  Elevating  Pitch  without  increasing  Force. 

(4)  Decreasing  Force  without  lowering  Pitch. 

(5)  Lowering  Pitch  without  decreasing  Force. 

(6)  Decreasing  Force  and  lowering  Pitch. 


SECTION   II.  — CHANGE   OF   PITCH. 

Change  of  Pitch  is  the  transition  of  the  voice  from  one 
point  of  Pitch  to  another.     This  is  a  necessary  element 


2O4  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

of  effective  discourse,  for  the  ear  demands  variety.  It  is 
contrary  to  the  laws  of  Nature  that  any  part  of  the  sensitive 
organism  of  hearing  should  be  played  upon  incessantly. 
The  ear  tires,  becomes  calloused,  and  finally  shuts  itself 
against  disagreeable  impressions. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  speaker  with  even  an  indifferent 
discourse  will  so  charm  the  ear  with  pleasing  variations  of 
a  good  voice  that,  as  Beecher  puts  it,  "  Men  listen  quite 
unaware  that  they  have  been  bewitched  out  of  their  weari- 
ness by  the  charms  of  a  voice  not  artificial,  but  made  by 
assiduous  training  to  be  his  second  nature."  If,  then, 
attention  must  be  held  in  order  that  the  speaker  may 
instruct  or  persuade,  and  if  variety  of  tone  is  a  means  to 
this  end,  we  must  conclude  that  Change  is  a  constituent 
element  of  reading  aloud,  and  oratory.  This  does  not 
imply  that  variety  should  be  given  for  its  own  sake  regard- 
less of  the  sentiment  expressed.  The  slightest  change  in 
sentiment  has  its  corresponding  change  of  Pitch.  The  voice 
becomes  capable,  by  development,  of  making  these  Changes, 
and  then  the  attuned  instrument  easily  responds  to  the 
touches  of  feeling.  The  voice  is  the  instrument,  and  the 
sensibilities  are  the  unseen  fingers  that  sweep  the  keys. 

Change  of  Pitch  is  the  most  productive  means  of  dis- 
criminative reading.  The  most  delicate  shades  of  thought 
are  made  at  once  apparent  by  Inflection.  It  is,  then,  a 
most  important  means  of  Emphasis,  for  an  idea  may  have 
attention  called  to  it  by  an  unusual  skip  or  slide  upon  the 
principal  word.  This  highly  discriminative  character  of 
Change  leads  us  without  hesitation  to  place  it  as  the  most 
distinctly  Mental  of  the  divisions  of  Pitch. 

Changes  of  Pitch,  therefore, 

(1)  Aid  the  speaker  in  holding  attention* 

(2)  Are  necessary  in  expressing  different  states  of  the  mind, 

(3)  Preclude  the  possibility  of  offending  the  ear  with  a  too 
frequent  recurrence  of  the  same  succession  of  tone,  and 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH. 


(4)    Are  a  productive  means  of  Emphasis. 
There  are  two  Changes  or  methods  of  transition  in  Pitch: 
Concrete,  and  Discrete. 


I.    CONCRETE. 

Concrete  (con-cresco  to  grow  together)  is  the  slide  of  the 
voice  from  one  point  of  Pitch  to  another.  As  the  word 
indicates,  it  is  a  growing  together  of  the  tones  between  the 
points  of  opening  and  close  of  the  speech-note,  so  that  there 
is  no  appreciable  time  spent  upon  any  intermediate  tone. 
It  is  simply  a  stroke  through  Pitch  vertically.  The  term 
Concrete  is  synonomous  with  inflection,  slide,  and  glide. 

The  predominance  of  the  sliding  tone  is  the  distinguish- 
ing feature  of  speech.  Every  syllable  must  have  a  slide. 
Good  reading*  or  speaking  contains  ever  varying  slides. 
Speech  is  a  concrete  solo  in  which  the  speaker,  at  once  cre- 
ates and  delivers  his  own  melody.  When  we  listen  to  the 
variations  of  a  well  modulated  voice,  we  hear  the  tones  of 
the  musical  scale  blend  or  glide,  as  it  were,  one  into 
another,  just  as  the  notes  of  a  violin  blend  when  the 
"stop-finger"  is  drawn  along  a  vibrating  string.  The 
power  to  rise  and  fall  at  will,  and  with  ease,  through  great 
intervals,  is  a  matter  of  great  importance  to  the  speaker,  as 
is  also  the  power  to  distinguish  the  length  of  inflection. 

Every  Concrete  consists  of  two  parts  ;  the  radical ,  and 
the  vanish.  The  radical  is  the  root  or  begin- 
ning of  the  tone,  the  vanish  is  the  diminution 
or  close  of  the  sound.  Dr.  Rush  illustrates 
the  speech-note,  thus  :  a  being  the  radical, 
and  b  the  vanish  of  the  Concrete.  We  will  employ  this 
character  in  Melody  to  indicate  the  direction  and  relative 
position  of  speech-notes  on  the  scale. 

There  are  two  considerations  to  be  borne  in  mind  in  the 
application  of  inflection  or  Concrete :  (i)  The  logical 


2O6  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

meaning ;  and  (2)  The  character  of  the  emotion,  if  there 
be  any.  The  direction  of  inflection  is  to  be  determined  by  the 
former,  the  length  by  the  latter.  The  motive,  and  not  the  form 
of  the  clause  or  sentence,  must  determine  the  inflection  ;  and  in 
reading,  the  eye  must  be  kept  well  ahead  of  the  utterance 
in  order  to  determine  the  logical  meaning. 

There  are  three  classes  of  Concrete  :  the  Rising,  the 
Falling,  and  the  Waving, 

i .    The  Rising  Concrete. 

The  Rising  Concrete  is  a  slide  of  the  voice  from  one 
point  of  the  compass  to  some  point  higher.  It  is  a  move- 
ment from  gravity  to  acuteness. 

As  a  matter  of  economy  and  for  the  sake  of  grace  and 
energy,  strojig  words,  used  interrogatively,  should  begin  lower 
in  Pitch  than  the  general  current  in  order  that  the  voice  may 
have  ample  room  to  slide  upward,  thus  :  — 

v  v   s' 

Shall  I  be-bf;  when  a    £  $ 

/>* *"  .V     vo» 

^  *      *   * 

Must  I   ^  and  jj  under  your  testy    ^ 

$  •/ 

(i)  Law  of  Use. 

Based  upon  the  observations  and  discoveries  of  Dr.  Rush 
which  have  been  confirmed  by  more  recent  scientific  investi- 
gations in  the  realm  of  expression,  this  general  principle 
may  be  laid  down  for  the  use  of  the  Rising  Concrete  : 
Things  doubtful,  anticipative,  conditional,  incomplete,  and 
subordinate  take  the  Rising. 

(2)   Illustrative  Cases. 
The  following  may  be  laid  down  as  the  leading  cases: 

CASE  T.  Direct  Questions,  that  is,  such  as  may  be 
answered  by  "yes"  or  "no,"  take  the  Rising  Concrete. 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH. 


From  JULIUS  C^SAR.    Act  II,  Scene  i. 

Lucius.     Sir,  'tis  your  brother  Cassius  at  the  door, 
Who  doth  desire  to  see  you. 

Brutus.     Is  he  alone  ? 

Lucius.     No,  sir,  there  are  more  with  him. 

/ 
Brutus.     Do  you  know  them? 

Shakespeare. 


(1)  Direct  questions,  when  repeated  for  information,  usually 
take  the  Falling. 

a.  "  Have  you  that  book  I  gave  you? 

b.  "  Have  you  that  book  I  gave  you  ?  " 

This  latter  is  equivalent  to  saying,  "  Pardon  me  for  asking 

v 
if  you  have  that  book  I  gave  you."     The  doubt  implied  in 

the  direct  question  by  the  Rising  Inflection  is  resolved  by 
an  answer  which  completes  the  Melody,  and  brings  the 
mind  to  a  state  of  repose. 

(2)  Some  declarative  sentences  become  direct  interroga- 
tives  by  inflection  : 

"  You  are  to  be  there  ?  (are  you  not  ?) " 

/ 
"(Do)  You  mean  that  I  shall  go?  " 

"  You  will  stay  and  sup  with  us  to-night !  (will  you  ?) " 

(3)  Interrogative  syllables  vary  in  length   and  frequency 
with  the  degree  of  feeling  placed  upon  the  sentence. 

a.  By  Thorough  Interrogation  is  meant  that  the  chief 
syllables  of  direct  questions  are  uttered  with  wide  inter 
rogative  intervals,  e.  g. : 


2O8  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

"  Threat  you  me  with  telling  of  the  king  ?  "  —  S/iat. 
"  I  ?  yonder,  with  polished  Greeks,  caged  in  dark  walls?     I,  the 
barbarian,  the  free  man?  "  —  Frederick  Halm. 

b.  By  Partial  Interrogation  is  meant  that  only  a  part  of 
the  chief  wrords  of  a  sentence  are  given  with  wide  inter- 
rogative intervals,  e.  g. : 

From  MUCH  ADO  ABOUT  NOTHING.    Act  I,  Scene  i. 

Claudio.  Benedick,  didst  thou  note  the  daughter  of  Signior 
Leonato  ? 

Benedick.     I  noted  her  not ;    but  I  looked  on  her. 

Clau.     Is  she  not  a  modest  young  lady? 

Ben.     Would  you  buy  her  that  you  inquire  after  her? 
Clau.     Can  the  world  buy  such  a  jewel  ?  —  Shakespeare. 

CASE  2.  Doubt,  indecision,  and  hesitation  require  the 
Rising  Concrete. 

From  INGOMAR.    Act  I,  Scene  i. 

Nothing  replaces  Kallinike  to  me  : 
She  was  a  true  heart,  —  she  could  work,  could  save  ! 
But  then  the  armourer's  daughter,  —  could  she  ? 
Ah,  she  is  there  herself  !  she's  young,  she's  pretty : 

So'-  yes7-  no7-  well7  so  be  it.  Frederick  Halm. 

"  I  think  he  is  honest."  —  Shakespeare. 

From  THE  MERCHANT  OF  VENICE.    Act  I,  Scene  3. 

Shylock.     Antonio  is  a  good  man. 

Bassanio.   Have  you  heard  any  imputation  to  the  contrary  ? 

Shylock.     Ho  !  no,  no,  no,  no  !  Shakespeare- 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  2OC) 

CASE  3.     Anticipative,  suspensive,  and  incomplete  ideas 
call  for  the  Rising  Concrete. 

But  whatever  may  be  our  fate,  be  assured,  be  assured,  this 
declaration  will  stand.  • —  Webster. 

Especially  desirous   of   being  accounted  the  best  swordsman 

and  the  most  fearless  gladiator  of  Rome,  he  still  better  enjoyed 
the  reputation  of  being  the  incomparable  archer.  —  Maurice 
Thompson. 

CASE  4.     Conditional  or  introductory  clauses  take  the 
Rising. 

(i)    Conditional: 

When  I  spoke  that,  I  was  ill-tempered  too.  —  Shakespeare. 
If  this  be  true,  then  should  I  know  this  secret. — Ibid. 


(2)    Introductory  : 

The  result  was,  that  all  the  seats  were  filled  with  people  eager 
to  witness  some  harrowing  scene  of  death.  —  Maurice  Thompson. 

/ 

Little  time  remained  for  such  reflections,  as  might  have  arisen, 

for  immediately  a  large  cage,  containing  two  fiery-eyed  and  fam- 
ished tigers,  was  brought  into  the  circus  and  placed  before  the 
victims.  —  Ibid. 


CASE  5.  Words  or  clauses  to  whicM  subordinate  or  re- 
strictive clauses  are  attached,  take  the  Rising. 

Thus  the  holy  virtue  which  is  contained  in  the  writings  of  St. 
Paul,  even  in  the  simplicity  of  his  style,  preserves  all  the  vigor  it 
brings  from  the  Heavens  whence  it  has  descended.  —  Bossitet. 


2IO  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

And  yet  I  will  say  that  that  man,  at  the  time  of  his  inflicting 

/ 
the  death-wound  of  that  Parliament,  produced  at  once  the  shortest 

and  the  grandest  funeral  oration  that  ever  was  or  could  be  made 
on  the  departure  of  a  great  Court  of  Magistracy.  — Burke. 

Go  bid  thy  mistress,  when  my  drink  is  ready, 
She  strike  upon  the  bell. — Shakespeare. 

CASE  6.     Deference,  courtesy,  concession,  conciliation, 
extreme  modesty,  and  shame  require  the  Rising. 


From  VTJRGlHluS.     Act  II,    Scene  2. 

Virginius.    I  did  design  to  feast  you 
Together  with  your  friends.     The  times  are  changed  ; 
The  march,  the  tent,  the  fight  becomes  us  now  ! 

Icillius.     Virginius  ! 

Vir.  Well? 

Icil.  Virginius ! 

Vir.  How  the  boy 

Reiterates  my  name  ! 

Icil.  There's  not  a  hope 

I  have,  but  is  the  client  of  Virginius. 

Vir.     Well,  well  !  I  only  meant  to  put  it  off  : 
We'll  have  the  revel  yet ;  the  board  shall  smoke  ; 
The  cup  shall  sparkle  ;  and  the  jest  shall  soar 
And  mock  us  from  the  roof. 

Sheridan  Knoiules. 

From  JfcUUS  CESAR.    Act  III,  Scene  2. 

Antony.     Here,  under  leave  of  Brutus  and  the  rest, — 
For  Brutus  is  an  honorable  man, 

So  are  they  all,  all  honorable  men,  — 
Come  I  to  speak  in  Caesar's  funeral. 

Shakespeare. 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  2 1  I 

From  JULIUS  CAESAR.     Act  II,  Scene  i. 

Portia.     I  grant  I  am  a  woman  ;  but  withal 
A  woman  that  Lord  Brutus  took  to  wife. 

Shakespeare. 

I  know  I  have  much  to  learn,  but  thou  wilt  teach  me, 
And  that  will  make  all  easy. 

Halm. 


From  LADY  CLARE. 

"  Falsely,  falsely,  have  you  done, 
O  mother,"  she  said,  "if  this  be  true;  — 
To  keep  the  best  man  under  the  Sun, 
So  many  years  from  his  due." 

"  Nay,  now,  my  child,"  said  Alice  the  nurse, 
"  But  keep  the  secret  for  your  life, 

And  all  you  have  will  be  Lord  Ronald's, 

When  you  are  man  and  wife." 

Tennyson. 

CASE  7.     Supplication,  pathetic  appeal,  begging,  and 
fawning  require  the  Rising. 


From  JULIUS  CESAR.    Act  III,  Scene  i. 

/ 

Antony.     Bear  with  me  ; 

My  heart  is  in  the  coffin  there  with  Caesar, 

And  I  must  pause  till  it  come  back  to  me. 

Shakespeare. 


From  UNCLE  DAN'L'S  APPARITION. 

O  Lord,  we 's  been  mighty  wicked,  an'  we  knows  dat  we  'zerve 
to  go  to  de  bad  place,  but  good  Lord,  deah  Lord,  we  ain't  ready 


212  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


yit,  we  ain't  ready,  —  let  dese  po'  chil'en  hab  one  mo'  chance,  jes' 
one  mo'  chance.     Take  de  ole  niggah  if  you's  got  to  hab  somebody. 

Good  Lord,  good  deah  Lord,  we  don't  know  whah  you's  a-gwine 
/  / 

to,  we  don't  know  who  you's  got  yo'  eye  on,  but  we  knows  by  de 

way  you's  a-comin',  we  knows  by  de  way  you's  a-tiltin'  along  in  yo* 

/  / 

charyot  o'  fiah,  dat  some  po'  sinner's  a-gwine  to  ketch  it.  —  Mark 

Twain. 


From  KING  JOHN.    Act  IV,  Scene  i. 

Arthur.     Nay,  hear  me,  Hubert !  drive  these  men  away, 
And  I  will  sit  as  quiet  as  a  lamb; 

I  will  not  stir,  nor  wince,  nor  speak  a  word, 

/ 
Nor  look  upon  the  iron  angrily  : 

Thrust  but  these  men  away,  and  I  '11  forgive  you 

Whatever  torment  you  do  put  me  to. 

Shakespeare. 


From  CONNOR. 
The  wan's  me  wife,  the  other  me  child.     O  Masther,  just  thry 

me.     How  '11  I  bring  'em  over  to  me,  if  no  one  will  give  me  a 

/ 
job  ?     I  want  to  be  aiming,  and  the  whole  big  city  seems  against 

it,  and  me  with  arms  like  them.  —  Anon. 

"  Give  me  some  bread."  —  A  Tramp. 

CASE  8.  Members  of  a  series  (except  the  last)  when 
taken  as  a  whole  and  when  not  emphatic  require  the 
Rising. 

/  /  / 

Sans  teeth,  sans  eyes,  sans  taste,  sans  everything. — Shakespeare. 
And  now  abideth  faith,  hope,  love.  —  i  Cor.  xii :  13. 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  213 

But  the  fruit  of  the   Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,   longsuffering, 

/  /  /  / 

gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance  ;  against  such 

there  is  no  law.  —  Galatians  v  :  22,  23. 

CASE  9.  Negatives,  unless  the  assertive  feature  domi- 
nates, require  the  Rising. 

I  wonder  that  you  will  still  be  talking,  Senior  Benedick,  nobody 
marks  you.  —  Shakespeare. 

I  come  not  here  armed  at  all  points  with  law  cases  and  Acts  of 
/.  / 

Parliament,  with  the  statute-book  doubled  down  in  dog's  ears,  to 

defend  the  cause  of  liberty.     I  would  not  debate  a  point  of  law 
with  the  gentleman  !     1  know  his  abilities.  —  Chatham. 

I  know  not  what  may  fall ;  I  like  it  not.  —  Shakespeare. 

'Twere  best  he  speak  no  harm  of  Brutus  here. — Ibid. 

I  care  not  how  fickle  other  people  have  been  found.  —  Webster. 

CASE  10.  Surprise,  astonishment,  retorted  questions 
(especially  when  the  speaker  desires  further  informa- 
tion) ,  require  the  Rising. 


From  MUCH  ADO  ABOUT  NOTHING.    Act  IV,  Scene  i. 

Beatrice.     I  love  you  with  so  much  of  my  heart,  that  none  is 
left  to  protest. 

Benedick.     Come,  bid  me  do  anything  for  thee. 
Beat.     Kill  Claudio. 

Bene.     Ha  !  not  for  the  wide  world.  —  Shakespeare. 


From  LAST  DAYS  OF  POMPEII. 

"Kind  Sosia,  chide  me  not — I  cannot  endure  to  be  so   long 
alone,"  said  Nydia  ;   "  the  solitude  appals  me.     Sosia,  how  much 


214  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

dost  thou  require  to  make  up  thy  freedom  ?  "  "How  much  ?  "  said 

he.     "  Why,  about  2000  sesterces."     "  The  Gods  be  praised  !  not 

/ 
more  ?  Seest  thou  these  bracelets  and  this  chain  ?  they  are  worth 

double  that  sum.     I  will  give  them  thee  if  thou  wilt  let  me  out 
only  for  one  little  hour." 

"  Let  thee  out  !  No,"  said  Sosia,  "  a  slave  once  disobeying 
Arbaces  is  never  heard  of  more  !  "  —  Bulwer  Lytton. 

From  HENRY  IV.     Part  i,  Act  II,  Scene  4. 

Falstaff.     A  plague  of  all  cowards  !  still,  say  I. 
Prince  Hal.  What's  the  matter? 

Fal.  What's  the  matter  !  There  be  four  of  us  here,  have 
ta'en  a  thousand  pound  this  day  morning. 

Shakespeare. 

CASE  ii.  Vocatives,  or  Appelatory  phrases  or  clauses, 
if  closely  followed  by  the  thought  anticipated,  require 
the  Rising. 

Fellow  Citizens:  It  is  no  ordinary  cause  that  has  brought  to- 
gether this  vast  assemblage. — Prentiss. 

Sir,  I  know  the  uncertainty  of  human  affairs,  but  I  see,  I  see 
clearly,  through  this  day's  business.  —  Webster. 

My  Lord,   I  came  to  see  your  father's  funeral.  —  Shakespeare. 

O  Lord,  our  Lord,  how  excellent  is  Thy  name  in  all  the  earth. 
—  Psalms. 

(i)  Vocatives  when  repeated  for  the  understanding  or  for 
Emphasis  usually  take  the  Falling.  First  call,  "John;" 
second  call,  "John." 

The  Rising  Concrete  occurs  so  much  more  frequently 
throughout  discourse  than  the  Falling  or  the  Waving  that 
it  may  be  said  to  be  the  rule. 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  215 

Emphasis  must  always  be  taken  into  account  in  the  de- 
livery of  the  foregoing  illustrations.  On  this  account,  in 
many  cases,  good  readers  and  speakers  may  change  from 
the  readings  indicated. 

2.    The  Falling  Concrete. 

The  Falling  Concrete  is  a  slide  of  the  voice  from  one 
point  of  Pitch  to  some  point  lower.  It  is  a  movement  from 
acuteness  to  gravity. 

For  the  sake  of  energy,  and  economy  of  Pitch,  strong 
syllables  that  require  the  Falling  Concrete  are  struck  higher 
than  the  ordinary  syllable  in  order  that  the  voice  may  have  room 
to  make  an  easy  descent,  thus  :  — 


•K  ^  *- 

He    ^    him   in   the  "^  /<?r  his  es  *+ 

</»  c*  fT'1 

-»  c»       "^ 

//  ^j  a  v^»r  «»</  ««  ^  air. 

•— ••  -^ 

^  -A 

//  2J  «  liberty  I  mean  to   "o,. 


(i)  Law  of  Use. 

In  harmony  with  and  corresponding  to  the  law  of  use 
governing  the  Rising  Concrete  we  Jiave  the  following 
general  law :  The  Falling  Concrete  is  used  to  express  de- 
cisiveness, positiveness,  conclusivenessr  and  completion 
of  sense. 

(2)  Illustrative  Cases. 
The  following  are  the  leading  cases  : 

CASE  i.  Indirect,  assertive,  and  exclamatory  questions 
require  the  Falling. 


2l6  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

(1)  Indirect  questions  are  such  as  require  an  explanatory 
answer.     They  are  usually  introduced  by  the  interrogatives, 
who,  which,  what,  how,  when,  &c.     The  interrogative  slide 
is  usually  heard  on  the  introductory  word  : 

What  is  your  tidings  ?  —  Shakespeare. 

Who  was  it  that  thus  cried? — Ibid. 

Why  did  you  bring  these  daggers  from  the  place? — Ibid. 

(2)  Assertive  questions  : 


From  MACBETH.    Act  I,  Scene  7. 
Macbeth.     Hath  he  asked  for  me  ? 
Lady  Macbeth.  Know  you  not  he  has? 

What  cannot  you  and  I  perform  upon 

x 
Th'  unguarded  Duncan  ? 

Shakespeare. 
\  ^ 

You  take  pleasure,  then,  in  the  message? — Shakespeare. 

In  assertive  questions,  the  interrogation  is  partial  only. 

(3)    Exclamatory  questions   are   questions   of   triumphant 
appeal : 

* 
From  YOUlfG  LOCHlflVAR. 

"  So  daring  in  love,  and  so  dauntless  in  war; 
Have  you  e'er  heard  of  gallant  like  young  Lochinvar  ?  " 


Scott. 


From  INGOMAR.    Act  I,  Scene  i. 


Parthenia.  Thou  art  angry  ! 

Actea.         Away  !  have  I  not  cause  enough  for  anger  ? 

Halm. 


,    CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  2 1/ 

Is  not  that  so,  gentlemen? 

v  v.  \ 

Are  not  you,  Sir,  who  sit  in  that  chair,  is  not  he,  our  venerable 

V  V  V  X 

colleague  near  you,  are  you  not  both  already  the  proscribed  and 
predestined  objects  of  punishment  and  of  vengeance? — Webster. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  in  this  connection  that  all  nega- 
tive questions  expect  an  affirmative  answer,  and  vice  versa. 
Questions  of  triumphant  appeal  expect  no  open  answer, 
simply  mental  assent  or  dissent,  as  the  case  may  be.  They 
need  no  answer.  The  utterance  by  taking  the  Falling  slide, 
contains  the  answer.  It  is  equivalent  to  saying,  "  Is  not 

that  so?"  "Yes."  The  " yes "  becomes  superfluous  when 
the  speaker  feels  that  the  mind  of  the  hearer  is  in  sympathy 
with  his  own.  It  is  at  such  times  only  that  the  exclamatory 
appeal  is  effective. 

CASE  2.  Decision,  affirmation,  assertion,  determination, 
require  the  Falling. 


From  MACBETH.    Act  I,  Scene  7. 

Macbeth.  I'm  settled,  and  bend  up 

V  N 

Each  corporal  agent  to  this  terrible  feat. 

x  v 

Away,  and  mock  the  time  with  fairest  show  : 

X  X 

False  face  must  hide  what  the  false  heart  doth  know. 

Shakespeare. 


From  McLAHTS  CHILD. 

But  here  I  swear  with  living  breath 
That  for  this  wrong  which  you  have  done, 
V  V 

I'll  reek  my  vengeance  on  your  son, — 

XX  X 

On  him,  and  you,  and  all  your  race  ! 

Mackay. 


218  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 


From  TOUSSAINT  L'OUVERTURE. 

Cromwell  manufactured  his  own  army.     Napoleon,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-seven,  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  best  troops  Europe 

V  V 

ever  saw.     Cromwell  never  saw  an  army  till  he  was  forty  ;  this 

v  \ 

man  never  saw  a  soldier  till  he  was  fifty.  —  Phillips. 


From  SUPPOSED  SPEECH  OF  JOHN  ADAMS. 

The  war,  then,  must  go  on.     We  must  fight  it  through.     And  if 
the  war  must  go  on,  why  put  off  longer  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 

X  X 

pendence?     That    measure  will  strengthen   us.      It  will  give  us 
character  abroad. —  Webster. 

CASE.  3.     Conclusion  of  the  sentence  when  the  thought 
is  complete  requires  the  Falling. 

From  THE  HUNCHBACK.     Act  I,  Scene  2. 

Julia.  This  rural  life  of  mine, 

Enjoined  upon  me  by  an  unknown  father's  will, 

I've  led  from  infancy.     Debarred  from  hope 

Of  change,  I  ne'er  have  sighed  for  change.     The  town 

To  me  was  like  the  Moon,  for  any  thought 

I  e'er  should  visit  it ;    nor  was  I  schooled 

To  think  it  half  so  fair  !  Sheridan  Knowles. 


From  LAST  DAYS  OF  POMPEII. 

The  cloud,  which  had  scattered  so  deep  a  murkiness  over  the 
day,  had  now  settled  into  a  solid  and  impenetrable  mass.  It 
resembled  less  even  the  thickest  gloom  of  a  night  in  the  open 
air  than  the  close  and  blind  darkness  of  some  narrow  room.  But, 
in  proportion  as  the  blackness  gathered,  did  the  lightenings  around 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH. 

Vesuvius  increase  in  their  vivid  and  scorching  glare.  Nor  was  their 
horrible  beauty  confined  to  the  usual  hues  of  fire  ;  no  rainbow 
ever  rivaled  their  varying  and  prodigal  dyes.  —  Bulwer-Lytton. 

CASE  4.  When  two  or  more  co-ordinate  clauses  occur 
in  a  sentence  each  representing  an  independent  thought, 
their  temporary  completeness  may  be  indicated  by  the 
Falling  Concrete. 

Care  should  be  taken  not  to  allow  the  slide  to  extend  as 
low  as  the  key  note  —  the  line  of  repose  —  in  any  clause  but 
the  last. 

From  TOUSSAINT  L'OUVERTURE. 
X 

You  think  me  a  fanatic,  for  you  read  history,  not  with  your  eyes 
but  with  your  prejudices.  But  fifty  years  hence,  when  Truth  gets 

a  hearing,  the  Muse  of  history  will  put  Phocion  for  the  Greek, 

X  N  \ 

Brutus  for  the  Roman,  Hampden  for  England,  Fayette  for  France, 

choose  Washington  as  the  bright,  consummate  flower  of  our  earlier 
civilization,  then,  dipping  her  pen  in  the  sunlight,  will  write  in  the 

clear  blue,  above  them  all,  the  name  of  the  soldier,  the  statesman, 

v  \ 

the  martyr,  Toussaint  L'Ouverture. — Phillips. 


From  CLAUDIUS  AND  CYNTHIA. 

The  youth,  erect  and  powerful,  set  his  thin  lips  firmly  and  kept 
his  eyes  looking  straight  out  before  him.  Many  knew  him  as  a 
trained  athlete  and  especially  as  an  almost  unerring  archer. — 
Maurice  Thompson. 


From  JULIUS  OffiSAR.    Act  II,  Scene  i. 

Decius.     Never  fear  that :  if  he  be  so  resolved, 
I  can  o'ersway  him  j  for  he  loves  to  hear 


22O  PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 

That  unicorns  may  be  betrayed  with  trees, 

v  \ 

And  bears  with  glasses,  elephants  with  holes, 

v  v 

Lions  with  toils,  and  men  with  flatterers. 

CASE  5.     The  members  of  ah  emphatic  series  or  Climax 
require  the  Falling. 

As  in  Case  4,  do  not  allow  the  slides  to  reach  the  line  of 
Cadence  until  the  last  member  of  the  series  is  reached. 


From  JULIUS  C^SAR.1    Act  I,  Scene  i. 

Marullus.    Wherefore  rejoice  ?     What  conquest  brings  he  home  ? 
What  tributaries  follow  him  to  Rome, 

To  grace  in  captive  bonds  his  chariot-wheels  ? 

x  v  \ 

You  blocks,  you  stones,  you  worse  than  senseless  things  ! 

O  you  hard  hearts,  you  cruel  men  of  Rome, 

Knew  you  not  Pompey?     Many  a  time  and  oft 

\  v 

Have  you  climbed  up  to  walls  and  battlements, 

V  V  V 

To  towers  and  windows,  yea,  to  chimney-tops, 
Your  infants  in  your  arms,  and  there  have  sat 

X  V 

The  live-long  day,  with  patient  expectation, 
To  see  great  Pompey  pass  the  streets  of  Rome. 

Shakespeare. 


From  HAMLET.    Act  II,  Scene  2. 

V  V 

Hamlet.  What  a  piece  of  work  is  man  !  how  noble  in  reason  ! 
how  infinite  in  faculties  !  in  form  and  moving  how  express  and 
admirable  !  in  action  how  like  an  angel  !  in  apprehension  how  like 
a  god  '  —  Shakespeare. 

1  The  student  is  here  referred  to  this  same  selection  as  it  is  used  to  illustrate 
Climactic  Emphasis  (p.  78). 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  221 

CASE  6.    Exclamatory  and  imperative  sentences  require 
the  Falling  Concrete. 

(1)  Exclamatory  Sentences: 

O,  what  a  rogue  and  peasant  slave  am  I  !  —  Shakespeare. 
Avaunt !  and  quit  my  sight !  let  the  earth  hide  thee  !  —  Ibid. 

O,  she  misused  me  past  the  endurance  of  a  block  !  —  Ibid. 

(2)  Imperatives : 

From  JULIUS  CAESAR.     Act  I,  Scene  i. 

V 

Marullus.  Begone ! 

V  N 

Run  to  your  houses,  fall  upon  your  knees, 

N 

Pray  to  the  gods  to  intermit  the  plague 
That  needs  must  light  on  this  ingratitude. 

Shakespeare. 


From  VTRGINIUS.    Act  II,  Scene  2. 

V  XX 

Virginius.     Your  sword  and  buckler,  boy  !     The  foe,  the  foe  ! 

V 

Does  he  not  tread  on  Roman  ground?     Come  on, 

N  \  \  X 

Come  on  !  charge  on  him,  drive  him  back,  or  die  ! 

Sheridan  Knowles. 


From  VTRGINIUS.    Act  IV,  Scene  2. 

Appius.  Keep  the  people  back  :  — 

v  \ 

Support  my  Lictors,  soldiers  !  —  Seize  the  girl, 

And  drive  the  people  back. 

v  x 

Icilius.  Down  with  the  slaves  ! 

Ibid. 


222  PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 

Forward  the  light  brigade  ! 

Charge  for  the  guns  ! 

Tennyson. 

CASE  7.     Anger,  scorn,  contempt,  and  other  harsh  and 
repulsive  sentiments  require  the  Falling  Concrete. 


From  KQfG  JOHN.    Act  III,  Scene  i. 

\  V  \ 

Constance.     Thou  slave,  thou  wretch,  thou  coward  ! 

\  v 

Thou  little  valiant,  great  in  villainy  ! 

\ 
What  a  fool  wert  thou, 

V  \  N  V  X 

A  ramping  fool,  to  brag,  and  stamp,  and  swear,  upon  my  party  ! 

Shakespeare. 


From  HAMLET.    Act  III,  Scene  4. 

X  X 

Hamlet.  A  murderer  and  a  villain  ; 

A  slave  that  is  not  twentieth  part  the  tithe 

N  V 

Of  your  precedent  lord  ;  a  Vice  of  kings  ; 

\  \  v 

A  cutpurse  of  the  empire  and  the  rule, 

That  from  a  shelf  the  precious  diadem  stole, 

v 
And  put  it  in  his  pocket ! 

Shakespeare. 


From  THE  SCHOOL  FOR  SCANDAL.    Act  III,  Scene  i. 
Sir  Peter  Teazle.     There  !  now  you  want  to  quarrel  again. 

Lady  Teazle.     No,  I   am  sure  I  don't ;  but  if  you  will  be  so 

peevish 

\  v 

Sir  P.     There  now  !  who  begins  first  ? 

Lady  T.     Why,  you,  to  be  sure.     I  said  nothing  ;  but  there's  no 
v  v 

bearing  your  temper. 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  223 

V       V  \ 

Sir  P.     No,  no,  madam  ;  the  fault's  in  your  own  temper. 

V 
Lady  T.     Ay,  you   are    just  what  my  cousin  Sophy  said  you 

would  be. 

N 

Sir  P.     Your  cousin  Sophy  is  a  forward,  impertinent  gipsy. 

.V  X  V 

Lady  T.     You   are    a   great   bear,    I    am    sure,   to  abuse    my 

v 
relations. 

Sir  P.     Now,  may  all  the  plagues  of  marriage  be  doubled  on 

N  V 

me,  if  ever  I  try  to  be  friends  with  you  any  more. 

Richard  Brinsley  Sheridan. 

The  Falling  Concrete  awakens  attention  by  the  importance 
it  attaches  to  words,  and,  as  a  change  from  the  more  common 
Rising,  rests  the  ear  and  the  mind  of  the  audience.  Those 
who  use  the  Rising  Concrete  to  excess  lose  the  effects  of 
strong  Emphasis  and  Cadence.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  'an 
English  or  Irish  speaker  to  utter  paragraph  after  paragraph 
in  which  no  Falling  Concrete  or  Cadence  can  be  heard. 
Oscar  Wilde,  for  example,  in  his  lecture  on  poetry,  which  he 
delivered  throughout  the  United  States,  spoke  an  hour  and 
twenty  minutes  without  a  single  distinct  Falling  slide  or 
Cadence.  English  and  American  habits  differ  in  this  regard 
very  considerably.  The  utterances  of  the  English  abound 
in  deferential,  patronizing,  Rising  inflections,  while  those  of 
the  American,  under  the  same  circumstances,  contain  a 
greater  number  of  positive  and  decisive  inflections.  It  must 
be  admitted,  however,  that  a  too  frequent  use  of  the  Falling 
Concrete  gives  to  one's  style  an  unsympathetic,  dogmatic 
character. 

3.    Reciprocal  Use  of  Rising  and  Falling  Concretes, 

The  Rising  and  Falling  are  often  used  reciprocally  in 
expression.  At  such  times  the  one  is  a  necessary  comple- 
ment of  the  other.  Expression  would  be  incomplete  without 
such  variety.  The  following  are  the  leading  cases  : 


224  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

(i)   Illustrative  Cases. 

CASE  i.  In  an  alternative  question,  the  first  part  takes 
the  Rising,  the  second  the  Falling.  In  case  there  are 
more  than  two  alternatives,  all  take  the  Rising  except 
the  last. 


From  MACBETH.    Act  II,  Scene  i. 
Art  thou  not,  fatal  vision,  sensible 
To  feeling  as  to  sight  ?     Or  art  thou  but 
A  dagger  of  the  mind,  a  false  creation, 
Proceeding  from  the  heat-oppressed  brain  ? 


Shakespeare. 


/        x 

To  be,  or  not  to  be. — Shakespeare. 


From  OTHELLO.    Act  I,  Scene  3. 

/  /  /         / 

First  Senator.     Did  you,  by  indirect  and  forced  courses 

Subdue  and  poison  this  young  maid's  affections  ? 

Or  came  it  by  request,  and  such  fair  question 

v 

As  soul  to  soul  aff ordeth  ? 

Shakespeare. 


When  the  *  or  *  is  used  conjunctively,  the  question  be- 
comes a  continued  one,  either  direct  or  indirect;  if  the 
former,  it  comes  under  Case  i  of  the  Rising  Concrete  ;  if 
the  latter,  under  Case  i  of  the  Falling  Concrete. 

CASE  2.  When  the  members  of  a  series  are  arranged 
in  groups  or  sets,  the  last  of  each  set  requires  the  Falling 
and  the  others  the  Rising. 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH  225 


From  EPISTLE  TO  THE  ROMANS,    viii  :  38,  39- 

/  X  / 

For  I  am  persuaded  that  neither  death  nor  life,  nor  angels  nor 
/  \  /  X 

principalities  nor  powers,  nor  things  present  nor  things  to  come, 
nor  height  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature  shall  be  able  to  sepa- 
rate us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  our  Lord. 

CASE  3.     Affirmatives  contrasted  with  negatives  take 
opposite  inflections  unless  assertive  Emphasis  prevails. 


From  JULIUS  CJESAR.    Act  II,  Scene  i. 
\  / 

Brutus.     Let  us  be  sacrificers,  but  not  butchers,  Caius. 
.  .  .  And,  gentle  friends, 

N  / 

Let's  kill  him  boldly,  but  not  wrathfully; 

v  v 

Let's  carve  him  as  a  dish  fit  for  the  gods, 

/  / 

Not  hew  him  as  a  carcass  fit  for  hounds; 

.  .  .  This  shall  mark 

x  / 

Our  purpose  necessary,  and  not  envious; 

Which  so  appearing  to  the  common  eyes, 

x  / 

We  shall  be  called  purgers,  not  murderers. 

Shakespeare. 

(i)    The  same  is  true  when  there  is  an  inequality  of  anti- 
thesis. 

Better  no  coat  to  my  back  than  no  wife  and  boy  by  my  fireside. 
— Anon. 

From  JULIUS  CJESAR.    Act  I,  Scene  2. 
Cassius.     I  cannot  tell  what  you  and  other  men 
Think  of  this  life ;  but,  for  my  single  self, 

I  had  as  lief  not  be  as  live  to  be 

/ 
In  awe  of  such  a  thing  as  I  myself. 


226  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Brutus.     Brutus  had  rather  be  a  villager 
Than  to  repute  himself  a  son  of  Rome 
Under  these  hard  conditions  as  this  time 

Is  like  to  lay  upon  us.  Shakespeare. 

(2)    Simple   forms   of  antithesis  are  shown  by  means   of 
opposite  inflections  : 


From  ORATIOH  OH  THE  CROWlf. 

Contrast  now  the  circumstances  of  your  life  and  mine,  gently 
and  with  temper,  Aeschines,  and  then  ask  these  people  whose 

fortunes  they  would  each  of  them  prefer.     You  taught  reading,  I 

\  /  \ 

went  to  school ;  you  performed  initiations,  I  received  them  ;  you 

danced  in  the  chorus,  I  furnished  it ;  you  were  assembly  clerk,  I 

x  /  '\.  / 

was  speaker  ;  you  acted  third  parts,  I  heard  you  ;  you  broke  down, 

and  I  hissed  ;  you  have  worked  as  a  statesman  for  the  enemy,  I 
for  my  Country. — Demosthenes. 

CASE  4.  When  impersonation  is  interrupted  by  narra- 
tive, the  principal  slides  given  the  narrative  should  have 
the  same  direction  as  that  of  the  last  word  of  the  imper- 
sonation immediately  preceding  the  narrative,  but  they 
should  not  always  be  of  the  same  intensity. 

The  explanatory  parts  immediately  associated  with  impersona- 
tion partake  of  the  nature  of  the  feeling  of  the  person  having 
just  spoken.  If  the  personation  is  in  positive  inflections  the 
explanation  becomes  so,  out  of  sympathy  with  the  character ;  if 
anticipative  the  explanatory  parts  partake  of  the  same  nature. 


From  SAM  WELLER'S  VALEFTINE. 

/  /  / 

"  I've  done  now,"  said  Sam,  with  slight  embarrassment ;  "  I've 

\  x 

been  a-writin'."     "  So  I  see,"  replied  Mr.  Weller.     "  Not  to  any 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  22/ 

young 'ooman,  I  hope,  Sammy."  "Why,  it's  no  use  a-sayin'  it 
ain't,"  replied  Sam.  "It's  a  walentine."  "A  what?"  exclaimed 

Mr.  Weller,  apparently  horror-stricken  by  the  word.  "  A  walen- 
tine," replied  Sam.  "  Samivel,  Samivel,"  said  Mr.  Weller,  in 
reproachful  accents,  "  I  didn't  think  you'd  ha'  done  it." — Dickens. 

(1)  This  is  equally  true  with  some  forms  of  the  vocative  : 

X  N 

Thrift,  thrift,  Horatio  !  the  funeral  baked  meats, 
Did  coldly  furnish  forth  the  marriage  tables. 

Shakespeare. 

What  does  this  mean,  my  Lord? 

Shakespeare. 

(2)  The  interrogative  sign  does  not  imply  that  the  inter- 
rogative slide  should  be  carried  through  the  entire  sentence. 
In  the  following  questions   the    declarative   feature    which 
begins  at  the  end  of   the  first   clause    should   receive  the 
Falling  inflection  :  — 

From  SUPPOSED  SPEECH  OF  JOHN  ADAMS. 

Do  we  mean  to  violate  that  most  solemn  obligation  ever 
entered  into  by  men,  that  plighting,  before  God,  of  our  sacred 
honor  to  Washington,  when,  putting  him  forth  to  incur  the  dangers 
of  war,  as  well  as  the  political  hazards  of  the  time,  we  promised  to 

adhere  to  him,  in  every  extremity,  with  our  fortunes  and  our  lives  ? 
—  Webster. 

From  AGAINST  THE  STAMP  ACT. 

Is  this  your  boasted  peace?  —  to  sheathe  the  sword,  not  in  its 
scabbard,  but  in  the  bowels  of  your  countrymen?  Will  you 

quarrel  with  yourselves  now  that  the  whole  House  of  Bourbon  is 

/  v 

united  against  you?  —  while  France  disturbs  your  fisheries  in  New- 


228  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION, 

foundland,  and  withholds  from  your  subjects  in  Canada  their  prop- 
erty stipulated  by  treaty?  —  while  the  ransom  for  the  Manillas  is 
denied  by  Spain,  and  its  gallant  conquerer  basely  traduced  into  a 
mean  plunderer,  —  a  gentleman  whose  noble  and  generous  spirit 
would  do  honor  to  the  proudest  grandee  of  the  Country?  — 
Chatham. 

4.    Waving  Concrete  —  The  Wave. 

The  Wave  is  a  union  one  or  more  times  repeated  of  the 
Rising  and  Falling  Concretes.  The  simple  Concretes  that 
form  the  Wave  are  called  its  constituents.  This  movement  of 
voice  occurs  within  the  limits  of  a  single  syllable  ;  that  is, 
it  affects  only  the  accented  syllables,  or  such  monosyllables 
as  may  require  it,  and  is  not,  as  is  often  supposed,  pro- 
longed through  more  than  one  syllable  of  a  word.  The 
Wave  occurs  less  frequently  than  either  of  the  other  Con- 
cretes. 

(i)   Kinds  of  Waves  Defined  and  Illustrated. 

There  are  seven  Kinds  of  Waves  as  indicated  by  the 
following  diagram  :  as  to  the  number  of  constituents  there 
are  Single,  Double,  and  Continued  waves  ;  as  to  the  relative 
length  of  constituents  there  are  Equal  and  Unequal  waves  ; 
as  to  the  direction  of  the  constituents,  there  are  Direct 
and  Inverted  waves.  Each  wave  has  but  one  radical,  i.e. 
one  opening,  regardless  of  the  number  of  its  bends. 

$  Single 
I.    Number  of  Constituents         \  Double 

Continued 


KINDS 

OF  WAVES 

As  To 


{Equal 
Unequal 

f  Direct 
3.    Direction  of  Constituents. 

Inverted. 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH. 


229 


a.  A  Single  Wave  has  one  bend  and  two  constituents, 
i.e.  there  are  two  simple  Concretes,  a  Rising  and  a  Falling, 
with  but  one  radical,  thus, 


as  heard  in  the  following  lines  : 


From  LADY  CLARE. 


n 


"  He  does  not  love  me  for  my  birth, 
Nor  for  my  lands  so  broad  and  fair  ; 

n 

He  loves  me  for  my  own  true  worth, 

And  that  is  well,"  said  Lady  Clare. 

Tennyson. 

u      u  u 

Well,  well,  I  think  so. 

b.   A  Double  Wave  has  two  bends  and  three  constituents. 
There  are  two  Risings  and  a  Falling,  or  vice  versa,  thus  : 


HI  °i  n 

H 

J  U     U  1     - 

[j 

as  heard  in  this  passage  from  the  play  of  "  Ingomar" 
Parthenia.     Poor  father  ! 

ru 

Actea.     Poor,  poor,  indeed  ! 

Halm. 


"  I  am  the  accuser  !  " 

"You." 

Anon. 


23O  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

c.  A  Continued  Wave  has  three  or  more  bends  and  four 
or  more  constituents.  There  are  at  least  four  simple  Con- 
cretes, two  Rising  and  two  Falling,  thus  : 


as  heard  in  the  prolonged  exclamation  of  delight, 


"  Ah  !    I  am  delighted  to  see  you/' 
and  such  mirthful  outbursts  as, 


"  O,  he' 


he's  returned  ;    and  as  pleasant  as  ever  he  was." 

Shakespeare. 

• 

d.  An  Equal  Wave  is  one  in  which  the  constituents 
traverse  the  same  intervals  of  Pitch.  The  beginning  and 
end  of  the  wave  are  on  the  same  point  of  the  scale,  i.  e.  if 
the  voice  rises  a  Second  it  must  fall  the  same  distance  to  make 
the  wave  Equal  •  if  it  rises  a  Third  it  must  fall  a  Thi?'d,  and 
so  on  through  all  the  intervals. 


She's  a  brave  girl !    she  rules  herself. 

Ah  !   and  behold,  there  rolls  the  sea  ; 

Halm. 


e.  An  Unequal  Wave  is  one  in  which  the  constituents 
traverse  different  intervals  of  the  scale.  The  tone  does 
not  end  on  the  same  plane  on  which  it  begins. 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH. 


231 


-0 


Thou  think'st 

o  on 

Thyself  unequalled,  doubtless;  lovely,  rich. 


Ofl  <1 

You,  Prince  of  Wales.  —  Shak. 


Halm. 


f.   A  Direct  Wave  is  one  in  which  the  last  constituent 
falls.1 


r\ 

n 

in 

J\ 

El 

trt 

Right  through  the  lines  they  broke.  —  Tennyson. 
g.   An  Inverted  Wave  is  one  in  which  the  last  constituent 


rises. 


Sr       S 

f           Hi 

U      I 

J      JU 

ru 

You  do  not  mean  now  ? 


The  illustrations  of  the  last  four  kinds  of  Waves  will  be 
found  under 

(2)  Law  of  Use  and  Illustrations. 

The  wave  is  used  : 

First)  to  show  that  the  meaning  of  the  passage  is  stronger  than 
that  which  the  ordinary  utterance  of  the  words  would  convey  ; 
e.g.  utter  the  sentence,  "  You  are  a  nice  fellow,"  with  the 

1  We  have  departed  from  Dr.  Rush  in  defining  these  terms  for  the  reason  that 
it  is  the  last  and  not  the  first  constituent  of  the  Wave  that  leaves  its  impress 
upon  the  ear  and  consequently  has  most  to  do  in  determining  the  character  of 
expression. 


232  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

simple  inflections  of  ordinary  conversation  and  it  becomes  a 
plain  statement  of  fact.  Utter  it  with  a  Direct  Equal  Wave 
of  a  Fifth  on  the  word  "nice"  and  admiration  is  expressed  ; 
with  a  Direct  Unequal  Wave  on  the  same  word  and  we  have 
irony.  These  are  emotions  not  indicated  by  the  words  them- 
selves. 

Second,  to  extend  the  time  of  words  without  overstepping  the  in- 
terval appropriate  to  the  sentiment.  Let  the  student  utter  the 
words  "  Hail,  holy  light,"  in  the  interval  of  the  Second —  the 
appropriate  interval  for  sublimity  —  with  simple  inflections, 
as  in  the  first  of  the  following  notations  ;  and  then  give 
them  with  (a)  single  waves  of  the  same  interval  as  in  the 
second  notation, 


AJ\ 


I   i    / 


Hail,      ho    -    ly       light.  Hail,       ho   -   ly       light. 

and  he  will  find  that  he  has  given  them  additional  dignity 
and  energy.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  time  of  the  syllables 
was  doubled  but  at  the  same  time  they  were  kept  within  the 
interval  of  the  Second,  whereas  if  the  tones  had  been  extended 
two  notes  beyond  the  Second,  thus, 
we  should  have  had  the  Fourth, 
(relatively  the  Fifth)  —  the  ap- 
propriate interval  for  surprise  or 
delight  —  an  interval  entirely 
inappropriate  to  sublimity.  Hail,  ho  -  ly  light. 

This  is  a  fault  too  often  heard  in  the  reading  of  sublime 
passages  of  scripture. 

Waves,  when  not  too  frequently  used,  add  dignity  and 
strength  to  discourse;  but  when  employed  in  profusion  they 
give  it  a  puerile  air,  and,  the  speaker  by  attempting  to  make 
language  too  emphatic,  detracts  from  his  effectiveness. 


1 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  23^ 

b.  The  Double  Wave  is  very  common  and  very  expressive) 
being  heard  more  frequently,  however,  in  colloquy  than  in 
oratory. 

c.  The  Continued  Wave  "  happens,"  says  Dr.  Rush,  "  in 
rare  and  peculiar  cases." 

d.  The  Equal  Wave  in  general  is  employed  in  the  utter- 
ance of  pleasing   emotions,  as   in   admiration,  love,  delight, 
gallantry,  triumph,  and  sublimity.     The  following  passages 
will  illustrate  these  varieties  of  Waves  : 


From  VIRGINIUS.    Act  I,  Scene  2. 

You've  done  it  well :  the  coloring  is  good  ; 
The  figure's  well  designed  ;  'tis  very  well ! 
Whose  face  is  this  you've  given  to  Achilles  ? 

Sheridan  Knovules. 


From  CHARGE  OF  THE  LIGHT  BRIGADE. 

When  can  their  glory  fade  ? 
O,  the  wild  charge  they  made  ! 

All  the  world  wonder'd. 
Honor  the  charge  they  made  ! 
Honor  the  Light  Brigade, 

Noble  Six  Hundred  ! 

Tennyson. 

e.  The  Unequal  Wave  is  used  in  conveying  an  opposite 
meaning  to  that  indicated  by  the  words.  The  pungency  of 
sarcasm,  irony,  derision,  contempt,  and  kindred  states  of  the 
mind,  lies  in  the  inequality  of  the  constituents  of  the  Wave, 
as  illustrated  in  the  following  passages  : 


234  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

P  1 

So  fare  thee  well,  descendant  of  the  gods  !  —  Halm. 


An'  you  will  not  have  me,  choose.  —  Shakespeare. 


From  VIRGIimTS.     Act  IV,  Scene  2. 

Numitorius.     Will  she  swear  she  is  her  child  ? 

O  O 

Virginius.    Be  sure  she  will;  a  most  wise  question  that ! 
U  U  }J 

She  not  his  slave?  Will  his  tongue  lie  for  him, 

U 
Or  his  hand  steal,  or  the  finger  of  his  hand 

Beckon,  or  point,  or  shut,  or  open  for  him  ? 

O  O  U  U 

To  ask  him  if  she'll  swear  !  Will  she  walk  or  run, 

u      u  u 

Sing,  dance,  or  wag  her  head  ?  do  anv  thing 

V          0 
That  is  most  easy  done  ?  She'll  swear  as  soon  ! 

What  mockery  it  is,  to  have  one's  life 

In  jeopardy  by  such  a  bare-faced  trick  ! 

Is  it  to  be  endured  ?  I  do  protest 

Against  her  oath  !  Sheridan  Knowles. 

f.  The  Direct  Wave  is  used  in  affirmatives,  in  expressing 
positiveness,  decisiveness,  fearlessness,  and  determination.  This 
is  obvious  because  the  last  constituent  falls  ;  hence  the 
expression  must  conform  to  the  laws  of  the  Rising  and 
Falling  Concretes. 


From  INGOMAR.    Act  II,  Scene  i. 

Ingomar.  I  love  to  be  opposed  ; 

I  love  my  horse  when  he  rears,  my  dogs  when  they  snarl, 
The  mountain  torrent,  and  the  sea,  when  it  flings 
Its  foam  up  to  the  stars  :  such  things  as  these 

Fill  me  with  life  and  joy.     Tame  indolence 
Is  living  death  :  the  battle  of  the  strong 

Alone  is  life'  Frederick  Halm. 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  235 

g.  The  Inverted  Wave  is  used  in  negatives,  and  in  ex- 
pressing indefiniteness,  doubt,  surprise,  astonishment,  wavering, 
cowardice,  in  conformity  with  the  laws  of  the  Rising  and 
Falling  Concretes. 

From  HORRORS  OF  SAVAGE  WARFARE. 

What !  attribute  the  sacred  sanction  of  God  and  Nature  to  the 
\J  U  U  U  U 

massacres  of  the  Indian  scalping-knife,  —  to  the  cannibal  savage, 

torturing,  murdering,  roasting,  and  eating,  —  literally,  my  Lords, 
eating  the  mangled  victims  of  his  barbarous  battles  !  Such  hor- 
rible notions  shock  every  precept  of  religion  revealed  or  natural, 
and  every  generous  feeling  of  humanity.  —  Chatham. 

All  the  more  common  forms  of  the  Wave  are  used  in 
antithesis  either  expressed  or  implied,  also  in  comparison, 
jesting,  and  mockery,  the  form  of  the  Wave  depending  upon 
the  character  of  the  sentiment.  In  simple  constrasts  where 
all  the  parts  are  expressed,  simple  Concretes  may  be  used, 
but  in  implied  contrast  the  Wave  is  necessary.  As  the  last 
constituent  of  the  Wave  is  the  one  that  leaves  the  strongest 
impression  upon  the  ear,  and  consequently  gives  the  chief 
cast  or  color  to  the  expression,  it  should  be  analyzed  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  Rising  and  Falling. 

The  Wave  is  always  suggestive  of  a  double  motive, 

u 

e.g.     The  assertive  question,  "  You  say  he  will  move  ?  "  is 

x  / 

equivalent  to   saying   "  You   say  he   will  move,   do  you  ?  " 

The  Wave  on  the  word  "  move  "  indicates  two  things,  the 
first  constituent  assertion,  the  second  interrogation.  In  the 
sentence 

"  Ah,  I  am  delighted  to  see  you  !  " 

the  Wave  indicates  surprise  added  to  delight,  —  the  first  con- 
stituent indicating  the  one,  the  second  the  other ;  and  in 

"  Wasn't  it  grand  !  " 


236  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

the  Wave  indicates  deference  to  another's  opinion  added  to  a 
positive  expression  of  the  speaker's  own  opinion  or  feeling.  A 
most  excellent  practice  for  the  student  is  to  resolve  into 
simple  motives  the  numerous  Waves  heard  in  ordinary 
utterance. 

5.   Intervals  of  the  Concrete. 

By  Interval  of  Pitch  is  meant  the  distance  between  two 
points  on  the  scale.  The  term  may  be  applied  both  to 
Concretes  and  Discretes. 

There  are  five  relative  intervals  of  Pitch, —  the  Semitone, 
the  Second,  the  Third,  the  Fifth,  and  the  Octave.  These  are 
the  stops  on  the  scale  which  are  most  convenient  and  most 
satisfying  to  the  ear.  Since  slight  differences  make  no 
change  in  the  character  of  expression  the  exactness  of  the 
musical  scale,  especially  in  the  wider  Intervals,  is  not  always 
observed.  For  instance,  a  tone  may  be  a  Fourth,  a  Sixth,  a 
Seventh,  or  even  more  than  an  Octave ;  whatever  its  length, 
it  is  usually  assigned  to  the  class  with  which  it  most  nearly 
coincides.  In  the  shorter  Intervals,  however,  a  slight  change 
is  more  noticeable  and  far  more  significant  than  that  of  the 
wider  Intervals  ;  a  Minor  Third,  for  instance,  when  substitu- 
ted for  a  third  would  change  the  feeling  from  that  of  calm 
statement  to  that  of  plaintiveness. 

The  inflections  of  a  sentence  will  not  all  be  of  the  same 
length  ;  principal  and  emphatic  words  require  longer  slides. 
The  Intervals  vary  with  the  intensity  and  character  of  the 
emotion.  Since  every  situation  has  its  corresponding  notes 
of  inflection,  a  sure  test  is  whether  or  not  the  expression 
conveys  the  intention  of  the  speaker.  Men  are  instinct- 
ively conscious  of  the  meaning  of  the  various  slides.1 

1  Cowper  once  said,  "There  is  in  souls  a  sympathy  with  sounds."  Professor 
Homer  B.  Sprague  says  :  "  Let  him  who  would  become  a  good  reader  or  speaker 
give  his  days  and  nights  first  to  the  scientific  analysis  which  shall  enable  him  to 
discern  the  precise  mental  act  or  state  to  be  expressed  and  the  appropriate  voice 
that  may  body  it  forth;  then  reducing, his  theory  to  practice  till  correct  vocal 
delivery  becomes  spontaneous." 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH. 


237 


In  this  connection  it  must  be  noted  that  the  Pitch-value 
and  the  Time-value  are  not  always  identical.  Any  Interval 
may  be  made  with  short  or  long  Quantity.  The  Pitch  value 
of  a  note  is  ascertained,  not  by  the  time  it  is  held,  but  by  the 
Interval  over  which  it  passes,  i.e.,  the  perpendicular  distance 
on  the  scale  between  the  points  of  opening  and  close  of  the 
note.  This  may  be  illustrated  by  the  accompanying  figure  : 


Short  Time.      Long  Time.     Short  Time.              Long  Time. 

A  %                       A                                             A  A 

1 

y 

1 

/ 

J 

^^^ 

/ 

/ 

^ 

o^ 

Interval  of  Third. 


Interval  of  Octave. 


(i)   The  Semitone  —  Use  and  Illustrations. 

A  Concrete  Semitone  is  a  slide  or  Wave  of  the  voice 
through  a  half  Interval  of  the  musical  scale.  This  is  the 
shortest,  but  by  no  means  the  least  important  of  the 
Intervals.  It  is  inseparably  associated  with  the  Minor  Third 
—  i.e.  three  tones  less  a  half  tone  —  in  the  expression  of 
pathos  and  similar  passions.  It  requires  but  a  few  Semitones 
and  Minor  Thirds  to  tinge  a  paragraph  with  sadness,  the 
Semitone  predominating,  while  the  Minor  Third  is  used  as  a 
means  of  Emphasis.  A  too  frequent  use  of  this  Interval, 
however,  gives  rise  to  a  lachrymose  or  funereal  style.  It 
will  be  found  that  many  persons  use  the  Semitone  in  their 
conversation  when  there  is  not  the  slightest  occasion  for  it. 
It  is  not  infrequently  heard  in  the  class  room,  where  students, 
when  questions  are  put  to  them,  will  answer  in  plaintive, 
melancholy  tones.  Mind  and  voice  are  out  of  harmony.  The 
one  forms  a  statement,  the  other  gives  it  out  as  plaintiveness.  It 
is  no  doubt  the  result  of  habit,  and  is  a  most  serious  fault. 


238  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

The  styles  of  discourse  in  which  the  Semitone  predomi- 
nates are  pathos,  sadness,  plaintiveness,  grief,  pity,  tenderness  ; 
it  is  also  heard  in  complaints  of  children,  whimpering,  whining, 
crying,  and,  indeed,  in  all  forms  of  animal  distress. 

From  VIRGlKlUS.    Act  I,  Scene  2. 

Virginia.     How  is  it  with  my  heart  ?     I  feel  as  one 
That  has  lost  everything,  and  just  before 
Had  nothing  left  to  wish  for  !     He  will  cast 
Icilius  off  !  —  I  never  told  it  yet ; 
But  take  of  me,  thou  gentle  air,  the  secret, 
And  ever  after  breathe  more  balmy  sweet, 
I  love  Icilius  !     Yes,  although  to  thee 
I  fear  to  tell  it,  that  hast  neither  eye 
To  scan  my  looks,  nor  voice  to  echo  me, 
Nor  e'en  an  o'er-apt  ear  to  catch  my  words  ; 
Yet,  sweet  invisible  confidant,  my  secret 
Once  being  thine,  I  tell  thee,  and  I  tell  thee 
Again,  and  yet  again,  I  love  Icilius  ! 
He'll  cast  Icilius  off  !  —  not  if  Icilius 
Approves  his  honor.     That  he'll  ever  do; 
He  speaks  and  looks  and  moves  a  thing  of  honor, 
Or  honor  ne'er  yet  spoke,  or  look'd,  or  moved, 
Or  was  a  thing  of  Earth.  —  O,  come,  Icilius  ! 
Do  but  appear,  and  thou  art  vindicated. 

Enter  Icilius. 

Icilius.     Virginia  !  sweet  Virginia  !  sure  I  heard 
My  name  pronounced.     Was  it  by  thee,  Virginia  ? 
Thou  dost  not  answer  ?     Then  it  was  by  thee  : 
O,  wouldst  thou  tell  me  why  thou  namedst  Icilius  ! 

fames  Sheridan  Knowles. 

From  MARY  STUART.    Act  III,  Scene  4- 

Elizabeth.     You  are  where  it  becomes  you,  Lady  Stuart ; 
And  thankfully  I  prize  my  God's  protection, 
Who  hath  not  suffered  me  to  kneel  a  suppliant 
Thus  at  your  feet,  as  you  now  kneel  at  mine. 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  239 

Mary.     Think  on  all  earthly  things,  vicissitudes. 
O  !  there  are  gods  who  punish  haughty  pride  : 
Respect  them,  honor  them,  the  dreadful  ones 
Who  thus  before  thy  feet  have  humbled  me  ! 
Before  these  strangers'  eyes,  dishonor  not 
Yourself  in  me  :  profane  not,  nor  disgrace 
The  royal  blood  of  Tudor.     In  my  veins 
It  flows  as  pure  a  stream  as  in  your  own. 
O  !  for  God's  pity,  stand  not  so  estranged 
And  inaccessible,  like  some  tall  cliff, 
Which  the  poor  shipwreck'd  mariner  in  vain 

Struggles  to  seize,  and  labors  to  embrace. 

Schiller. 

Some  words  in  the  above  exercises  may  be  read  with  the 
Wave  of  the  Semitone,  which  adds  dignity  and  plaintiveness 
to  the  effect.  The  simple  Inflections,  however,  are  much 
more  common  in  all  the  Intervals,  Waves  occurring  only 
occasionally. 

(2)  The  Second  —  Use  and  Illustrations. 

A  Concrete  Second  is  a  slide  or  Wave  of  the  voice  through 
a  whole  Interval  of  the  musical  scale.  This  is  the  simplest 
and  most  common  of  the  slides,  and  is  properly  employed 
on  the  unaccented  and  unemphatic  syllables  of  ordinary  dis- 
course. It  is  used,  furthermore,  with  slightly  varying  Melody 
in  solemnity,  reverence,  and  adoration. 


From  THE  CLOSING  YEAR. 

Remorseless  Time  ! 

Fierce  spirit  of  the  glass  and  scythe  !  what  power 
Can  stay  him  in  his  silent  course,  or  melt 
His  iron  heart  to  pity?  On,  still  on, 
He  presses,  and  forever.     The  proud  bird, 
The  condor  of  the  Andes,  that  can  soar 


240  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Through  heaven's  unfathomable  depths,  or  brave 
The  fury  of  the  northern  Hurricane, 
And  bathe  his  plumage  in  the  thunder's  home, 
Furls  his  broad  wings  at  nightfall,  and  sinks  down 
To  rest  upon  his  mountain  crag  :    but  Time 
Knows  not  the  weight  of  sleep  or  weariness, 
And  night's  deep  darkness  has  no  chain  to  bind 
His  rushing  pinions. 

Prentice. 


From  PSALM  XXX.    Verses  2,  3. 

O  Lord  my  God,  I  cried  unto  thee,  and  thou  hast  healed  me. 
O  Lord,  thou  hast  brought  up  my  soul  from  the  grave  :  thou  hast 
kept  me  alive,  that  I  should  not  go  down  to  the  pit. 

The  Wave  of  the  Second  is  very  common  and  adds  great 
strength  to  certain  words  in  sublimity  and  devotion,  giving 
them  temporal  distinction  and  a  slow  and  solemn  grandeur 
and  majesty  that  cannot  otherwise  be  attained. 


From  PSALM  CIV.    Verse  24. 

O  Lord,  how  manifold  are  thy  works  !  in  wisdom  hast  thou 
made  them  all :  the  earth  is  full  of  thy  riches. 

Let  it  be  remembered  that  simple  Inflections  of  a  Second 
and  Waves  of  the  same  Interval  are  associated  in  the  same 
styles  of  thought,  the  former  predominating,  the  latter 
occurring  only  occasionally;  and  that  the  Direct  and  In- 
verted features  of  the  Wave  make  but  little  difference  in 
Intervals  of  the  Semitone,  and  Second,  while  in  the  wider 
Intervals  much  depends  upon  the  form  of  the  Wave. 

(3)   The  Third  —  Use  and  Illustrations. 

A  Concrete  Third  is  a  slide  or  Wave  of  the  voice  through 
two  whole  Intervals,  including  three  notes  of  the  musical 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  24! 

scale.  It  is  the  Interval  heard  in  giving  distinction  to 
accented  and  emphatic  syllables  in  ordinary  discourse. 
Animated  conversation  abounds  in  Thirds.  It  is  heard  also 
in  wit,  playfulness,  earnest  appeal,  and  in  vigorous  oratorical 
composition. 

From  APPEAL  IN  BEHALF  OF  IRELAND. 

There  lies  upon  the  other  side  of  the  wide  Atlantic  a  beautiful 
island,  famous  in  story  and  in  song.  Its  area  is  not  so  great  as 
that  of  the  State  of  Louisiana,  while  its  population  is  almost  half 
that  of  the  Union.  It  has  given  to  the  world  more  than  its  share 
of  genius  and  of  greatness.  It  has  been  prolific  in  statesmen, 
warriors,  and  poets.  Its  brave  and  generous  sons  have  fought 
successfully  all  battles  but  their  own.  In  wit  and  humor  it  has  no 
equal;  while  its  harp,  like  its  history,  moves  to  tears  by  its  sweet 
but  melancholy  pathos.  —  Prentiss. 

The  Rising  Third  is  the  inflection  used  in  most  cases  of 
real  inquiry,  while  the  indirect  question  takes  the  opposite 
inflection  of  the  same  interval. 

v         \ 

What  makes  you  expect  to  learn  faster  than  other  folks  ?    are 

/ 
you  any  smarter? — Anon. 

The  Wave  of  the  Third  may  occur  in  any  of  the  styles  of 
thought  in  which  simple  inflections  of  the  same  interval  are 
used.  It  is  heard  most  frequently  in  admiration,  gallantry 
and  decisiveness  in  the  Direct  form,  and  in  indefiniteness,  waver- 
ing and  comparison  in  the  Inverted  form. 


From  THE  RIDE  OF   JENNIE  McNEAL. 

But  the  grand  young  captain  bow'd,  and  said, 
"  Never  you  hold  a  moment's  dread  : 

Of  womankind  I  must  crown  you  queen ; 
So  brave  a  girl  I  have  never  seen : 


242  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Wear  this  gold  ring  as  your  valor's  due  ; 
And  when  peace  comes  I  will  come  for  you." 
But  Jennie's  face  an  arch  smile  wore, 
As  she  said,  "  There's  a  lad  in  Putnam's  corps, 

Who  told  me  the  same,  long  time  ago  ; 
You  two  would  never  agree,  I  know  ; 

I  promised  my  love  to  be  true  as  steel," 

Said  good,  sure-hearted  Jennie  M'Neal. 

Carleton. 


From  U1TCLE  DAITL'S  APPARITION. 

The  naming  and  churning  steamer  was  right  abreast  the  party, 
and  not  twenty  steps  away.  The  awful  thunder  of  a  mud-valve 
suddenly  burst  forth,  drowning  the  prayer,  and  as  suddenly  Uncle 
Dan'l  snatched  a  child  under  each  arm  and  scoured  into  the 
woods  with  the  rest  of  the  pack  at  his  heels.  And  then,  ashamed 
of  himself,  he  halted  in  the  deep  darkness  and  shouted,  but  rather 

ru  ru 

feebly,  "  Heah  I  is,  Lord,  heah  I  is  !" — Mark  Twain. 


(4)   The  Fifth  — Use  and  Illustrations. 

A  Concrete  Fifth  is  a  slide  or  Wave  of  the  voice  through 
five  notes  of  the  musical  scale.  This  Interval  is  heard  less 
frequently  than  the  Second  or  Third,  but  it  is  inseparably 
associated  with  the  latter  in  strong  Emphasis  and  interroga- 
tion, the  Third  predominating  on  unaccented  and  unem- 
phatic  syllables,  while  the  Fifth  is  used  on  the  principal 
syllables  for  Emphasis  and  expression.  The  majority  of 
strong  interrogatives  take  this  Interval.  When  used  too 
frequently  in  conversation,  however,  it  gives  to  one's  speech 
an  extravagant  turn.  If  we  study  nature,  we  find  that  senti- 
ments of  surprise,  delight,  joy,  manly  decision,  and  defiance  are 
expressed  in  Fifths.  Note  this  Interval  on  the  underscored 
syllables  of  the  following  passages  : 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  243 


From  THE  BOYS. 

Has  there  any  old  fellow  got  mix'd  with  the  boys  ? 
If  he  has,  take  him  out,  without  making  a  noise. 
Hang  the  almanac's  cheat  and  the  catalogue's  spite  ! 
Old  Time  is  a  liar  !  we're  twenty  to-night ! 

We're  twenty  !     We're  twenty  !     Who  says  we  are  more  ? 
He's  tipsy,  —  young  jackanapes  !  —  show  him  the  door  I 
"  Gray  temples  at  twenty  ?  "  —  Yes  !   white  if  we  please  ; 
Where  the  snow-flakes  fall  thickest  there's  nothing  can  freeze  ! 

Holmes. 


From  APPEAL  IN  BEHALF  OF  IRELAND. 

Go  home  and  look  at  your  family,  smiling  in  rosy  health,  and 
then  think  of  the  pale,  famine-pinched  cheeks  of  the  poor  children 
of  Ireland  ;  and  I  know  you  will  give,  according  to  your  store, 
even  as  a  bountiful  Providence  has  given  to  you,  —  not  grudgingly, 
but  with  an  open  hand.  He  who  is  able,  and  will  not  aid  such  a 
cause,  is  not  a  man,  and  has  no  right  to  wear  the  form.  He  should 
be  sent  back  to  Nature's  mint,  and  re-issued  as  a  counterfeit  on 
humanity  of  Nature's  baser  metal.  —  Prentiss. 

The  Wave  of  the  Fifth  occurs  only  occasionally  but  is 
used  with  great  effect.  In  its  Direct  form  it  is  heard  in 
emphatic  distinction,  delight,  extreme  admiration,  triumph ;  in 
its  inverted  form  in  surprise,  antithesis,  assertive  interrogation. 

"  She  is  won  !  we  are  gone,  over  bank,  bush,  and  scaur  ; 

They'll  have  fleet  steeds  that  follow  !"  quoth  young  Lochinvar. 

Scott. 


244  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 


From  DTGOMAR.     Act  I,  Scene  i. 

Actea.     'Tis  time  to  think  of  marriage  ;   yet  already 
Thou  hast  rejected  Medon. 

o  o 

Parthenia.  O  !    he  was  old, 

Gray-headed,  gouty,  coarse,  — 

Act.  Evander,  then. 

O 
Par.     Evander  !     Yes,  he  had  a  fox's  cunning, 

fVJ  O 

With  a  hyena's  heart,  and  monkey's  form. 

Frederick  Halm. 
In  the  assertive  question, 

y 

"  You  say  he  will  resign  ?  " 

the  Inverted  Wave  of  the  Fifth  may  very  properly  be  applied 
to  the  last  syllable,  the  first  constituent  indicating  the  asser- 
tive feature,  the  last  the  interrogative. 

(5)   The  Octave  —  Use  and  Illustrations. 

A  Concrete  Octave  is  a  slide  or  Wave  of  the  voice  through 
eight  notes  of  the  scale.  It  must  be  remembered  that  many 
tones  placed  under  this  class  fall  a  little  short  of  the  Octave, 
while  others  overrun  it,  but  the  Interval  is  relatively  the 
Octave.  This  is  the  least  common  of  the  Intervals  and  is 
the  natural  expression  of  the  most  intense  feeling,  as  indig- 
nant astonishment,  extreme  surprise,  intense  fear,  impassioned 
exclamation  and  interrogation. 


From  HAMLET.    Act  I,  Scene  2. 

Horatio.     I  saw  him  once  ;  he  was  a  goodly  king. 
Hamlet.     He  was  a  man,  take  him  for  all  in  all, 
I  shall  not  look  upon  his  like  again. 

Hora.     My  lord,  I  think  I  saw  him  yesternight. 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  245 

Ham.     Saw?  who? 

Hora.     My  lord,  the  King  your  father. 

Ham.     The  King  my  father  ! 

Shakespeare. 

From  OTHELLO.    Act  III,  Scene  3. 

lago.     Patience,  I  say  ;  your  mind  perhaps  may  change. 

Othello.     Never,  lago.     Like  to  the  Pontic  sea, 
Whose  icy  current  and  compulsive  course 
Ne'er  feels  retiring  ebb,  but  keeps  due  on 
To  the  Propontic  and  the  Hellespont ; 
Even  so  my  bloody  thoughts,  with  violent  pace, 
Shall  ne'er  look  back,  ne'er  ebb  to  humble  love, 
Till  that  a  capable  and  wide  revenge 
Swallow  them  up. 

Shakespeare. 

The  Wave  of  the  Octave  is  heard  only  occasionally  but  is 
very  expressive.  It  is  the  language  of  the  highest  state  of 
astonishment,  horror,  exaltation,  and  interrogation.  It  is  heard 
frequently  in  the  mocking  and  jesting  of  children. 

Angels  and  ministers  of  grace  defend  us  !  —  Shakespeare. 

Save  me,  and  hover  over  me  with  your  wings, 
You  heavenly  guards  ! 

Shakespeare. 

The  tribe  is  waiting  for  us,  and  the  master  is  waiting.  Ha,  ha, 
'tis  done,  'tis  done.  We  have  overthrown  the  proud.  The  hand 

that  smote  us  is  in  the  dust.     Ours  the  glory,  ha,  ha,  ha,  ha  !  — 
Wallace. 

In  studying  the  Intervals  of  speech  the  student  should 
bear  in  mind  that  not  all  the  words  of  a  passage  are  to  be 
read  with  the  same  Interval.  The  Second  and  Third  are 


246 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


the  rule,  the  others  are  the  exceptions,  and  occur  on  indi- 
vidual words,  such  as  are  expressive  of  the  states  of  mind 
of  which  these  rarer  Intervals  are  the  natural  expression. 
Positive  changes  of  sentiment  require  corresponding  changes 
of  the  Intervals  used,  and  the  student  will  find  it  most  in- 
teresting to  note  the  inflections  used  under  the  influence  of 
various  passions.  Thoughts  with  solemn  or  gloomy  emotion 
express  themselves  in  slight  variations  of  inflection;  excited 
emotions  in  wider  variations,  and  violent  emotions  in  the 
greatest  variations. 

6.    Vocal  Exercises  in  Rising,  Falling,  and  Waving  Concretes. 

(i)  Repeat  the  question,  "  Did  you  say  it  was  I  ?  "  five 
times,  giving  Rising  Concretes  of  the  Semitone,  Second,  Third, 
Fifth  and  Octave,  respectively,  on  the  word  "  I  "  as  illustrated 
in  the  subjoined  staff. 


\ 

,7 

J 

I 

I 

cJ 

J 

1 

J 

I." 


I."  "  I." 


(2)  Repeat  the  sentence,  "I  said  no,"  five  times,  giving 
the  Falling  Concretes  separately,  as  indicated  in  the  accom- 
panying figure. 


rx 

<\ 

£X 

^ 

A 

\ 

"A 

A 

\ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

No."  "  No."  "No."  «No.' 


No.' 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH. 


247 


(3)  Repeat  the  question,  "  Pale  or  red  ?  "  five  times,  alter- 
nating the  Rising  and  Falling  Concretes  on  the  words 
"pale"  and  "red"  respectively,  as  indicated  below. 


[<\ 

J  ^  ' 

J  ^ 

/  ^ 

T^ 

\ 

c/ 

J    \ 

./     \ 

/     \ 

J      \ 

"Pale,  red."    "Pale,  red."    "  Pale,  red."    "  Pale,  red."    "Pale,  red." 

(4)  Practice  sounds  and  words  through  the  several  Intervals 
as  indicated  in  the  preceding  figure. 

(5)  Sound  e,  a,  a,  and  6  in  Equal  Waves  of  a  Semitone, 
Second,  Third,  Fifth  and  Octave,  respectively,  as  indicated  in 
the  subjoined  figure,  (a)  in  the  Direct  form,  (b)  in  the  In- 
verted form,  (c)  in  both  forms  combined. 


(6)  Use  the  same  sounds  in  practicing  Unequal  Waves. 

(7)  Let  the  student  draw  a  variety  of  waved  lines,  both 
regular  and  irregular,  and  execute  the  movements  with  the 
voice. 


248 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


II.    DISCRETE. 

Discrete  (from  dis,  apart,  and  cerno,  to  perceive)  is  a  step 
of  the  voice  from  one  point  of  Pitch  to  another.  As  the 
word  indicates,  it  is  a  thinking  apart — a  separating  of  tones 
on  the  scale.  It  is  the  silence  between  syllables  of  different 
Degrees  of  Pitch.  When  there  is  a  change  of  Pitch  between 
two  syllables  in  succession  the  Interval  passed  over  is  a 
Discrete. 

i.    Comparison  with  Concrete. 

Concrete  is  a  sliding  from  one  Degree  to  another,  Discrete  is 
a  stepping  ;  Concrete  is  sound,  Discrete  is  silence.  As  every  syl- 
lable in  speech  must  have  a  Concrete,  it  follows  that  there 
must  be  at  least  two  Concretes  before  there  can  be  a 
Discrete.  In  speech  there  can  be  no  Discretes  without 
Concretes,  but  there  may  be  Concretes  without  Discretes. 
For  example,  when  two  or  more  syllables  occur  in  succession 
on  the  same  plane  of  Pitch  there  are  no  steps.  Discretes  are 
measured  by  the  perpendicular  distance  between  the  planes 
on  which  the  notes  begin.  For  example,  in  the  question, 
"Were  his  visits  daily  ?  "  the  second  syllable  of  the  last  word 


is  properly  placed  a  tone 
above    the    first  ;     thus, 


dai  -  ly 

syllables  may  fall  successively  : 
"  The     day    was     beautiful  ;  " 


In  the  following  sen- 
tence the  last  three 


beau    -    ti    -    ful. 

In  the  latter  case  there  is  a  downward  step  between  the  first 
and  second,  and  between  the  second  and  third  syllables. 

To  use  a  homely  illustration  :  as  one  moves  up  or  down  a  flight 
of  steps  the  feet  take  the  Discrete  movement  while  the  hand  on  the 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  249 

railing  takes  the  Concrete.  The  same  may  be  said  of  ascending 
and  descending  by  the  stairs  and  an  elevator  respectively  ;  the  one 
act  is  by  stepping,  the  other  by  sliding. 

In  the  following  sentence  observe  that  the  two  acts  occur, 
that  each  syllable  has  its  Concrete  and  that  between  the 
syllables  in  every  case  but  one  (between  "it"  and  "can") 
there  is  a  Discrete  : 


c/ 


If         we  fail  it        can      be     no          worse     for         us. 

2.    Classes  of  Discrete. 

There  are  two  classes  of  the  Discrete,  the  Upward,  and 
the  Downward. 

(1)  The  Upward  Discrete  is  a  step  of  the  voice  from  one 
point  of  Pitch  to  some  point  higher. 

(2)  The  Downward  Discrete  is  a  step  of  the  voice  from 
one  point  of  Pitch  to  some  point  lower. 

3.    Intervals  of  Discrete. 

The  Intervals  of  the  Discrete  are  the  same  as  those  of 
the  Concrete,  viz.,  the  Semitone,  the  Second,  the  Third,  the 
Fifth,  and  the  Octave,  and  they  are  used  for  the  most  part  in 
conjunction  with  Concretes  of  the  same  Intervals,  through 
the  different  Degrees  of  Pitch,  for  variety  in  expression.  The 
more  solemn  the  discourse  the  shorter  and  less  frequent  the 
Discretes  ;  the  more  broken  and  impassioned  the  thought 
the  wider  and  more  frequent  the  Discretes. 

4.    Illustrations  of  Discrete  Changes. 

In  the  following  illustrations  let  J  represent  the  Upward  steps 
and  L  the  Downward.  Remember  that  these  characters  are  used 
simply  to  show  where,  in  our  judgment,  the  most  striking  Discretes 
should  occur,  and  not  that  the  voice  should  proceed  in  an  angular 
way. 


25O  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


From  PARRHASTOS  AND  THE  CAPTIVE. 

L  J 

'Pity'  thee  !     So  I  do  ! 

I  pity  the  dumb  victim  at  the  altar ; 

But  does  the  robed  priest  for  his  pity  falter? 

I'd  rack  thee,  though  I  knew 
A  thousand  lives  were  perishing  in  thine  ; 
What  were  ten  thousand  to  a  fame  like  mine  ? 


Willis. 


From  HAMLET.    Act  III,  Scene  2. 

Hamlet.     'Sblood,  do  you  think  I  am  easier  to  be  played  on 
than  a  pipe  ?     Call  'me  what  instrument  you  will,  though  you  can 
fret  me,  you  cannot  play  upon  me.  —  Shakespeare. 


It  will  be  seen  that  the  Discrete  is  a  most  important  means 
of  Emphasis.  By  striking  the  word  "  ten "  in  the  first 
exercise  five  notes  above  the  preceding  word  it  is  made 
strongly  emphatic. 

In  the  following  passage,  in  which  solemnity  and  pathos 
abound,  the  Concretes  are  mostly  Seconds,  with  the  Discretes 
corresponding,  except  in  the  last  two  lines,  in  which  the 
Semitone  predominates. 


From  THE  WRECK  AT  RTVERMOUTH. 

Suddenly  seaward  swept  the  squall  ; 

The  low  Sun  smote  through  cloudy  rack  ; 
The  shoals  stood  clear  in  the  light,  and  all 

The  trend  of  the  coast  lay  hard  and  black; 


CHANGE    OF    PITCH.  251 

But,  far  and  wide  as  eye  could  reach, 

J  L 

No  life  was  seen  upon  wave  or  beach ; 

The  boat  that  went  out  at  morning  never 
Sail'd  back  again  into  Hampton  River. 

O  mower,  lean  on  thy  bended  snath, 

Look  from  the  meadows  green  and  low  : 
The  wind  of  the  sea  is  a  waft  of  death, 

The  waves  are  singing  a  song  of  woe  1 
By  silent  river,  by  moaning  sea, 

Long  and  vain  shall  thy  watching  be  : 
Never  again  shall  the  sweet  voice  call, 

Never  the  white  hand  rise  and  fall ! 

Whittier. 

I'll  tear  her  all  to  pieces.  —  Shakespeare. 


From  HAMLET.    Act  V,  Scene  i. 

'S  wounds,  show  me  what  thou'lt  do  : 

Woo't  weep  ?  woo't  fight  ?  woo't  fast  ?  woo't  tear  thyself  ? 

I'll  do't     Dost  thou  come  here  to  whine  ? 

To  outface  me  with  leaping  in  her  grave  ? 

Be  buried  quick  with  her,  and  so  will  I  ; 

And,  if  thou  prate  of  mountains,  let  them  throw 

Millions  of  acres  on  us,  till  our  ground, 


Singeing  his  pate  against  the  burning  zone, 

Shakespeare. 


Make  Ossa  like  a  wart ! 


252 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


Care  should  be  taken  never  to  allow  notes  of  song  to  appear  in 
reading.  The  "  sing-song  "  style,  formerly  much  more  common  in 
the  schools,  consists  of  regularly  recurring  discretes  with  notes  of 
song  introduced  at  intervals.  This  is  a  habit  that  should  not  be 
tolerated. 

5.    Vocal  Culture  of  Discrete. 

(i)  Practice  a,  a  and  0  separately  in  notes  of  song, 
beginning  on  E  of  the  scale,  thus  : 


1 

J 

; 

—  w— 

,     1 

J 

J 

a       a  ;    a,        a  ;   a,       a  ; 


a  ;    a,       a  ;    a,        a  ;    a,       a. 


w 

1 

J 

1 

j 

J 

.  ! 

a,       a ;   a,      a ;     a,       a ;    a,       a ;  a,        a;  a,       a ;  a,        a. 

(2)    Practice  a,  e,  I  and  0  separately  with  notes  of  speech, 
thus  : 


J 

d 

J 

d 

1 

J 

J  J 

J 

J 

J 

J 

J 

J 

fL-fc7<  -   •    U'                          \*f                         W                           «-"                         <*s                         ^ 

a,      a;    a,       a;     a,     a;      a,       a;    a,     a;      a,       a;   a,        a. 

J  c/ 

d 

d 

d 

d 

d 

d 

1 

J 

3 

J 

d 

J 

a,     a;     a,     a;     a,     a;     a,     aj      a,     a;      a,    a;     a,    a. 


MELODY.  253 

(3)  Practice  a,  e,  I  and  6  separately  in  notes  of   speech, 
keeping   the   Discretes   as   indicated   above,  but  alternating 
the  Concretes. 

(4)  Practice  the  words  "  gaily  "  and  "  sudden  "  separately 
through  the  same  succession  of  notes,  using  two  notes  to 
each  word. 

(5)  Speak  the  words    "gaily"    and    "sudden,"   making 
steps  of  a  Semitone,  Second,  Third,  Fifth,  and  Octave  respec- 
tively up  and  down  the  scale. 


SECTION  III.  — MELODY. 

Melody  (from  melodos,  melodious,  musical)  is  the  succes- 
sion of  speech-notes  as  they  occur  in  utterance. 

It  is  composed  of  Concretes  and  Discretes.  The  term  is 
a  relative  one  and  although,  musically  considered,  it  means 
a  sweet  or  agreeable  succession  of  sounds,  we  shall  apply  it 
as  well  to  a  displeasing  succession.  If  the  arrangement  is 
agreeable  and  the  tones  are  in  correct  Intervals  the  Melody 
is  good.  If  the  Intervals  are  incorrect  and  disagreeable, 
the  Melody  is  bad.  There  is  a  music  of  speech  as  well  as  a 
music  of  song.  The  skillful  speaker  does  not  follow  a  set 
form  of  notes,  as  does  the  singer  ;  he  at  once  creates  and 
delivers  his  Melody.  His  art  is  two-fold,  and  therefore  more 
difficult  than  that  of  the  singer.  Touching  the  sensibilities 
of  an  audience  as  the  skilled  musician  the  keys  of  his 
instrument,  not  the  least  of  his  elements  of  power  is  his 
proper  management  of  Melody. 

Who  can  forget  the  charm  of  the  easy,  natural  Melody  of  Booth 
in  his  marvelous  production  of  Hamlet,  or  of  Wendell  Phillips  in 
his  intense,  conversational  oratory  ;  and  yet  both  of  these  men 
worked,  as  few  men  ever  worked,  to  possess  agreeable  variety  of 
Pitch.  Their  naturalness  came  of  the  mastery,  of  the  principles 
of  their  art. 


254 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


In  speaking  of  Melody,  Mandeville,  in  his  "  Elements  of  Read- 
ing and  Oratory,"  says  "  One  should  acquire  the  habit  of  reading 
and  speaking  as  he  converses,  with  the  same  tone  predominating, 
and  with  the  same  easy  and  natural  variations  of  the  voice." 

Keeping  in  mind  the  laws  already  laid  down  under  Con- 
crete, this  general  law  should  be  observed  in  Melody  :  The 
voice  descends  by  degrees  on  light  syllables  to  make  strong  Rising 
Concretes,  and  ascends  by  degrees  on  light  syllables  to  make  strong 
Falling  Concretes.  This  prevents  broken  and  displeasing 
Melody. 

The  following  sentence  which  we  put  to  Melody  will 
serve  to  illustrate  this  principle  : 


He         is         not         the         man          I  called 


for;       he        is 


rs 

4    J    \ 

d      A 

•*     d     "            \ 

\ 

d      !                                   \ 

rogue; 


tell 


you 


he 


rogue. 


Also    in    the    following    colloquy  between    Hamlet    and 
Polonius  : 

Hamlet.     Do  you  see  yonder  cloud  that's  almost  in  shape  of  a 
camel  ? 

Polonius.     By  the  mass,  and  'tis  like  a  camel,  indeed. 

Ham.     Methinks  it  is  like  a  weasel. 

Pol.     It  is  backed  like  a  weasel. 

Ham.     Or  like  a  whale  ? 

Pol.     Very  like  a  whale.  Shakespeare. 


MELODY.  255 

The  last  part  of  this  may  be  notated  as  follows  : 


A 


d 


Me  -  thinks         it          is         like        a         wea  -  sel."      "It  is         backed 


A   d          d  ^    d 


like      a      wea  -  sel."  "Or       like      a     whale?"  "Ve  -  ry      like         a         whale." 

The  character  of  Melody  depends  upon  the  sentiment  or 
feeling  that  prompts  expression,  therefore  this  division  of 
Pitch  is  a  special  agent  of  marfs  Emotive  nature. 

Melody  is  divided  into  two  parts,  Current,  and  Cadence. 

I.    CURRENT  MELODY. 

Current  Melody  (from  curro,  to  run)  is  the  succession  of 
tones  which  runs  through  the  body  of  the  sentence.  As  the 
word  indicates,  it  is  the  running  Melody  —  the  general  drift 
of  the  main  part  of  the  sentence  as  distinguished  from  the 
Cadence  which  gives  repose  at  the  close  of  the  Melody. 

The  Current  may  be  compared  to  the  current  of  a  stream 
with  its  sparkling  wavelets,  and  the  Cadence  to  the  fall  of 
the  stream  into  a  lake  where  it  ends  as  a  stream.  A  tranquil 
sentence  should  flow  along  in  delightful  Melody  and  close 
with  a  fall  of  voice  as  satisfying  as  the  Cadence  of  a  sweet 
song.  In  strong  dramatic  or  impassioned  thought  the  Cur- 
rent thunders  along  with  turbulent  waves  to  its  Cadence 
and  plunges  in  its  fall  with  the  force  of  a  Niagara.  Witness 
the  analogy  between  the  elements  of  vocal  expression  and 
the  voice  of  Nature. 


256 


PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 


Current  Melody  is  divided  into  four  classes,  three  of 
which  are  further  subdivided,  as  indicated  in  the  following 
diagram  : 

Monotone 

(  Rising 

Ditone       J 

^Falling 

f  Rising 


CURRENT  MELODY  ^ 


Tritone 


Polytone 


|^  Falling 
(  Rising 

I  Falling 


These  are  called  phrases  of  Melody  as  they  bear  the 
same  relation  to  a  complete  Melody  as  do  rhetorical  phrases 
to  a  sentence.  In  some  of  the  accompanying  illustrations 
bars  are  used  to  mark  the  phrases. 

i.    The  Monotone. 

When  two  or  more  consecutive  syllables  begin  on  the 
same  plane  of  Pitch  the  phrase  of  Melody  is  called  the 
Monotone. J 


MONOTONE. 
A 


A    A     A 

5v_5L-S 

x7 

\J         \*/          (s 

d  <\  d 

S  "     A 

The  Monotone  is  not  necessarily  monotonous.  Variety 
in  the  use  of  Monotone  comes  from  placing  its  various 
phrases  on  different  planes  of  Pitch.  Monotony  is  the  bete 
noire  of  Elocution.  The  most  varied  and  beautiful  phrase  of 
Melody  will  produce  monotony  if  it  recurs  too  frequently. 

1  It  will  be  seen  from  the  accompanying  illustration  that  the  relative 
position  of  the  radicals  of  the  notes  and  not  their  Concretes  determines 
the  character  of  the  phrase  of  Melody. 


MELODY. 


257 


The  Monotone  is  the  simplest  form  of  Melody,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  valuable  elements  of  power.  It  is  heard  in  its 
simplest  form  in  counting,  enumerating,  in  reading  advertise- 
ments —  a  sale  bill,  for  example,  in  which  there  is  little 
occasion  for  variety.  It  is  indispensable  in  the  delivery  of 
solemnity,  sublimity,  awe,  veneration,  and  mystery.  The  more 
grave  the  emotion  the  more  frequent  the  phrase  of  the 
Monotone.  The  solemnity  of  a  rebuke  or  an  oath  would  sound 
flippant  without  the  Monotone.  Superior  weight  of  feeling 
precludes  great  elasticity  of  Melody. 

The  student  will  have  no  difficulty  in  pointing  out  the 
phrases  of  the  Monotone  in  the  following  notated  passages: 


J 


JJJJJjJJJ 


I     am   thy  fath-er's  spir -it;  doomed  for      a      cer  -  tain   term    to    walk  the  night, 


J 

V 

J  J 

J   c 

/   c/    _ 

(J  ~ 

"    "    d    c 

\    V 

v 

v 

cy 

and     for      the      day    con  -  fined     to      fast      in       fires,      till       the        foul  crimes 


v 

7    d 

o     c 

1    J    c 

1  J 

j 

j 

j 

done       in        my      days      of         na  -  ture       are    burnt     and  purged     a  -  way. 


2.    The  Ditone. 

When  the  second  of  two  syllables  is  a  tone  above  or 
below  the  first,  the  phrase  of  Melody  is  called  the  Ditone. 

This  is  the  literal  meaning  of  the  term  and  the  one  intended  by 
Dr.  Rush,  but  we  hold  that  the  term  may  not  inappropriately  be 
applied  to  phrases  of  Melody  in  which  the  interval  reaches  even 
a  Third.  This  departure  will  be  found  very  useful  in  Melody 
that  is  slightly  more  varied  than  the  diatonic. 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


There   are  two  divisions  of  the  Ditone  :   the  Rising  and 
the  Falling. 

(1)  The  Rising  Ditone  is  that  phrase  of  Melody  in  which 
the  second  of  two  syllables  is  sounded  a  tone  above  the 
first. 

(2)  The  Falling  Ditone  is  that  phrase  in  which  the  sec- 
ond of  two  syllables  is  sounded  a  tone  below  the  first.1 

The  following  cut  illustrates  the  various  Ditones  :  — 


DITONE 


Rising 


Falling 


J 

J 

J 

^°\ 

°\ 

Ac/ 

In  the  following  sentences  from  "  Virginius  "  the  Ditones 
and  alternate  Ditones  occur  very  frequently:  — 


J  c 

1  J 

o/^ 

c^    j  J    J  J 

1    ^    c.     J 

^  ^ 

^  „ 

1  It        is     with       I  -  cil   -    i  -  us.    Look,  the  wreath  is      made    of        ro   -   ses,    that 


/    V  , 

J  J 

i 

/ 

7 

^ 

J 

} 

J  ° 

:A 

J 

C 

UL 

A 

en-twines    the      let-ters."  "And  this       is      all?  ""And  is      it      not     e-nough?" 

l  Dr.  Rush  adds  another  phrase  which  he  calls  the  Alternation.  But  as  this 
is  nothing  more  than  a  series  of  Ditones  in  which  the  voice  strikes  alternately 
two  planes  of  Pitch,  the  term  seems  to  us  superfluous,  and  we,  therefore,  omit  it 
from  the  classification. 


MELODY. 


259 


J  °\ 

J    J         J 

\Jd  J 

25 

-    \  d  ^  J 

\" 

"  A       sigh  came     out,  and 

then      al  -  most      a        tear;  And  she  did 

look    as 

OL 

J            J 

(•-J 

d    j 

^  J  J  J  ' 

A  J~   of  C    J 

J  J  ~ 

pit    -  e  -  ous      on      the  harm  that  she   had  done,  as 

she     had  done 

it      to 

jJjJJ 

Q              J     J     - 

v   J    J  d 

J     J 

E  ! 
* 

A    thing    had  sense    to 

feel     it,   Nev  -  er      aft 

-  er      she      let 

me    note 

J  J  J    j 

J  .             J 

J      °\ 

\     c^ 

\ 

her        at       the      work 

a   -   gain.     She         had 

3.    The  Tritone. 

good      rea    -    son." 
Knmvles. 

The  Tritone  is  a  phrase  of  Melody  consisting  of  three 
tones  that  move  upward  or  downward  successively  by  Dis- 
cretes of  a  tone. 

There  are  two  divisions  of  the  Tritone  :  the  Rising  and 
the  Falling. 

(1)  In  the  Rising  Tritone  the  second  of  three  syllables  is 
placed  a  tone  above  the  first,  and  the  third 

a  tone  above  the  second.  In  the  simple 
inquiry,  "  Was  the  day  beautiful  ?  "  the  last 
word  takes  the  Rising  Tritone,  thus,  beau  -  ti  -  ful 

(2)  In  the  Falling  Tritone  the  second  of  three  syllables  is 
placed  a  tone  below  the  first,  and  the  third  a  tone  below  the 
second.     In  the  simple  statement,   "Corn- 
modus  was  Emperor,"  the  last  word  takes 

the  Falling  Tritone  which  in  this  instance 
becomes  a  Cadence,  thus,  Em- per 


J 

J 

J  " 

260 


PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 


The  following  cut  illustrates  several  varieties  of  Rising 
and  Falling  Tritone  :  — 


TRITONE  4 


Rising 


Falling 


j 


Note  the  opportunities  for  the  use  of  the  Tritone  in  this 
spirited  passage  from  Chatham :  — 


J  ^  ~  * 

J  V 

J 

j 

c/ 

J     *      < 

y  ~\  d 

J 

</ 

d 

I     would  not    de  -  bate        a     point     of       law    with     the     gen  -  tie-man ;    I 


J 

J 

^  <\  „ 

J 

? 

J  ^ 

^ 

I 

^  °\ 

•     I    C? 

^< 

y^^ 

know    his        a    -    bil    -    i  -  ties.        I     have  been     o  -  bliged  to    his    di    -   li  -  gent 

J 


^   °\           ^/ 

V     6 

y  ^ 

^  °\  j  J  J  j 
\  c?  c/  e?  £/ 

—  V  6^  — 

re  -  search -es.       But,      for     the       de- fence    of       lib  -  er  -   ty     up  -  on      a 


J  J 


ge  -  ne  -  ral    prin-ci  -  pie,    up  -  on     a  con  -  sti  -  tu-tion  -  al  prin  -  ci  -  pie,  it     is    a 


ground  on    which      I       stand    firm ;  on    which      I      dare    meet      a     -     ny     man. 

Chatham. 


MELODY.  26l 

4.    The  Polytone. 

The  Polytone x  is  a  phrase  of  Melody  consisting  of  four 
or  more  tones  that  move  upward  or  downward  successively 
by  Discretes  of  a  tone. 

The  divisions  of  the  Polytone  are  the  same  as  those  of 
the  Ditone  and  Tritone,  viz.,  the  Rising  and  the  Falling. 

(i)  In  the  Rising  Polytone  the  syllables  move  upward 
successively  by  discretes  of  a  tone.  For  example  in  the 
sentence,  "  Is  this  man  imaginative,  and  is  he  poetically 

inclined?"    the  rising  polytone  occurs  j 

twice  —  on  each  of  the  words  "  imagi- 
native "  and  "poetically,"  beginning 
with  the  second  syllable,  thus  : 


J 


J 


im  -  ag    -    i    -    na  -  tive 
po  -  et    -    i    -    cal  -    ly 

(2)  In  the  Falling  Polytone  the  syllables  move  Down- 
ward successively  by  Discretes  of  a  tone,  e.  g.  take  the  above 
illustration  and  turn  the  inquiry  into  a  statement,  "  This  man 
is  imaginative,  and  is  poetically  inclined,"  and  we  find  that 
the  Falling  Polytone  is  the  easiest 
and  most  appropriate  phrase  of  Mel- 
ody for  these  same  words,  "imagina- 
tive" and  "poetically,"  thus  : 


im  -  ag   -   i    -    na  -    tive 
po  -  et    -   i    -    cal  -     ly 


The  Polytone  will  be  found  to  occur  a  few  times  in  the 
following  very  earnest  passage  : 


/  < 

^    \  J 

^    J  J  *\ 

c/    J    " 

\    (J     3        \ 

^   d  d 

I       have  given    to    the     winds      those      false       ac  -  cu  -  sa  -  tions,    as       I 

1  This  term  is  not  found  in  Dr.  Rush's  Philosophy.  Our  reason  for  adding  it 
is  that  we  may  have  some  means  of  denoting  Discrete  successions  of  more  than 
three  tones,  which,  it  will  be  found,  are  quite  common  in  utterance. 


262 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


J 

J 

J 

^ 

J    c 

/  J 

J  u 

\ 

J 

A  I 

con -sign      that      which      now        im   -   peach   -   es          my         mot    -   ives 


j 

c/ 

\ 

^  °v 

J  J 

\, 

^•v 

J 

NC\ 

d 

\ 

I      have    no       de  -  sire       for      of  -  fice,      not        even     the     high  -  est. 


J 


I      am       no       can   -   di  -  date    for        a   -   ny     of  -  fice    in    the  gift    of     the 


" 


peo  -  pie    of  these  states,  u  -  nit  -  ed     or    sep   -  a    -    rat   -   ed  I     nev  -  er 


A  j  j  j 


wish,   nev  -  er       ex  -  pect,      to        be.  —  Clay. 


J 


<y      ^ 


In  -  to    this    fair        re  -  gion  God    has    seen       fit      to      send     the      most 


ter-ri  -ble         of    all    those  fear  -  ful  min  -  is  -  ters  that     ful  -  fil      his    de-crees. 

Prentiss. 


MELODY.  263 

Mr.  Murdoch,  in  treating  Melody,  after  having  given  a  number 
of  illustrations,  desires  it  to  be  distinctly  understood  that  the 
notations  given  are  simply  "to  illustrate  the  manner  in  which  the 
voice  may  traverse  the  scale.  This  is  true  of  all  the  notations; 
they  do  not  represent  the  way  in  which  the  language  must  be 
given  but  a  way  in  which  it  may  be  given." 


5.    Use  of  Phrases  of  Melody. 

The  Ditones,  Tritones,  and  Polytones  are  used  in  speech 
to  break  up  monotony.  They  occur  in  conversation,  animated 
description,  earnest  appeal,  gayety,  anger,  and  heroic  sentiments 
—  in  fact  in  almost  all  styles  of  thought -except  the  grave, 
majestic,  and  solemn,  which  require  the  least  variety,  and 
the  impassioned  and  exclamatory,  which  require  the  most 
broken  Melody.  These  phrases  with  the  Monotone  con- 
stitute the  Diatonic  Melody,  in  which  the  Current  of 
unemphatic  syllables  is  made  up  of  slides  and  skips  of  a 
tone,  with  occasional  Thirds  and  Fifths  for  interrogation 
and  Emphasis. 

The  above  illustrations  show  occasional  Thirds  and  Fifths 
but  the  general  drift  when  uninterrupted  by  Emphasis  and 
interrogation  will  be  found  to  be  Diatonic. 

6.    Broken  Melody. 

Broken  Melody  is  made  up  of  Concretes  and  Discretes 
in  which  the  intervals  traversed  are  Thirds,  Fifths,  and 
Octaves. 

It  is  oftentimes  difficult  to  determine  where  the  Diatonic 
merges  into  the  Broken  Melody  and  vice  versa;  and  still 
more  difficult  is  it  to  find  extended  passages  in  which  there 
is  no  trace  of  Diatonic  Melody. 

The  Diatonic  Melody  is  the  rule;  Broken,  and  Chromatic 
Melody  are  the  exception.  If  we  note  the  utterance  of  men 
under  passion  we  shall  find  that  they  use  Broken  Melody 


264  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

in  exclamations  of  joy,  triumph,  rage,  amazement  and  terror, 
and  in  other  very  strong  feeling. 

Let  the  student  practice  the  following  passages  not  only 
as  a  means  of  expression  but  as  an  excellent  vocal  exercise  : 

From  MACBETH.    Act  III,  Scene  3. 


J 


J \    J     J 


A  -  vaunt !  and       quit      my          sight !    let          the     earth      hide        thee ! 


J  J          ^ J 


\      ^       d 


Thy  bones        are  mar    -    row     -    less,         thy        blood        is          cold. 

SJiakespeare. 
From  HAMLET.    Act  I.,  Scene  4. 


<\ 

j    A     j      \  „ 

A 

\     •           N    ^ 

j      x^  ^ 

'      \ 

:Be        ruled,          you  shall       not        go.'         "My        fate         cries        out 


J 

^       ^       J 

j  d  j 

(J                                                           C'                                                        O 

and      makes         each          pet     -     ty       ar       -       te     -     ry          in         this     bo   -   dy 


MELODY.  265 


J             J 

-V 

J  J     J  J  J 

o\ 

v    \ 

as        hard  -  y          as        the        Ne  -  me    -    an  li      -      on's  nerve. 


0. 

\ 

A 

\  ~d 

J    A   °\ 

\    ^            J          J         C/ 

\        ^ 

Still  am  I        called.      Un  -  hand        me,          gen     -     tie    -    men;  — 


• 

A     ; 

J 

/       J 

\J    ~\j    j    j   A 

J 

By        Heaven,        I'll         make        a         ghost      of        him        that      lets       me 


A 

•J   d    -1      \    J     A    J 

Q\ 

\                 <-x 

\ 

A      ^ 

I          say         a    -    way!        Go  on;      I'll  fol      -      low         thee." 

Shakespeare. 

7.    Chromatic  Melody. 

In  Chromatic  Melody  the  Concretes  are  Semitones  with 
minor  thirds  for  Emphasis  and  interrogation ;  the  Discretes, 
although  generally  Semitones,  are  not  necessarily  so;  they 
may  be  Seconds,  Thirds,  or  even  greater  intervals;  it  is 
the  Concretes  that  indicate  the  emotion.  The  Chromatic 


266  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Melody  is  used  in  the  expression  of  plaintiveness,  tenderness, 
pit)\  pathos  and  grief. 

In  the  following  selection,  instead  of  using  musical  char- 
acters throughout  to  indicate  the  Semitone,  we  have  chosen 
simply  to  place  a  sharp  at  the  beginning  of  each  staff  of 
Chromatic  Melody. 


From  VTRGnnUS.    Act  II,  Scene  2. 


\ 


d    d 


d  <y  d 

Didst  thou  but    know,  young  man,    how    fond  -  ly        I     have  watche 

\ 


d  j  j  d 


d  d  ^  d  d 


since  the     day   her  moth-er    died,  and    left   me     to      a    charge  of     dou  -  ble 
I         I         I      d        I      d        O          J        '         J 


J 


du    -    ty       bound ;  how    she    hath  been  my    pon  -  dered  thought  by      day, 


d  d  d     \  ^  ^  d 


iy  dream  by   night,  my  prayer,  my  vow,  my    of  -  fer  -  ing,  my      praise, 


tt 

a 


^^^\^\         I                      _/  *M 

c/    ~      ~ 

\  c^           ^ 

^    ^v    ^    <J   ~ 

my  sweet    com  -  pan  -  ion,   pu  -  pil,       tu  -  tor,  child ;  thou  wouldst  not  won- 


J 

A 

j  c 

_4     rx 

J  d 

^  J 

^7 

j  6_ 

^  d 

d 

der,    that       my  drown  -  ing    eye     and  chok  -  ing     ut  -  ter  -  ance  up  -  braid  my 


LL                       J      J      J 

TT    d 

J 

d 

tongue,    that      tells       thee        she  is        thine. 

Knmules. 


MELODY.  267 


II.    CADENCE. 

Cadence  (cado,  to  fall)  is  that  part  of  the  Melody  which 
gives  repose  at  the  close  of  a  sentence  when  the  thought 
is  complete.  • 

It  consists  of  at  least  three  downward  steps  from  the  Cur- 
rent Melody,  or  of  slides  that  cover  the  same  space.  These 
steps  or  degrees  of  Pitch  are  called  the  constituents  of  the 
Cadence.  The  last  constituent  must  always  have  a  Falling 
slide,  without  which  there  can  be  no  Cadence.  This  does 
not  imply  that  all  Falling  inflections  produce  Cadence;  far 
from  this.  The  voice  may  for  Emphasis  strike  down  repeat- 
edly in  Pitch  without  reaching  the  key-note  or  line  of  repose. 
This  very  frequently  occurs  in  clauses  that  are  temporarily 
complete.  The  voice  should  be  sustained  above  the  key- 
note until  the  sentence  comes  to  an  end  and  completes  the 
thought.  There  can,  therefore,  be  no  Cadence  in  direct  in- 
terrogatives,  where  the  thought  is  to  be  completed  by  an 
answer.  The  effect  of  a  Cadence  in  speech  is  as  grateful 
as  a  Cadence  in  song.  The  ear  is  disappointed  without  it. 
It  is  necessary  therefore  to  the'  best  efforts  of  eloqence. 
That  speaker  who  denies  himself  Cadence,  either  purposely 
or  from  ignorance  of  how  to  use  it,  keeps  his  audience  in  a 
continual  strain  of  attention,  and,  leaving  nothing  complete, 
gives  them  no  opportunity  to  show  their  approval  of  his 
sentiments.  Such  a  speaker  rarely  creates  enthusiasm  in 
his  audience.1 

1  A  recent  writer  says  on  this  subject :  "  Cadence  is  difficult  to  acquire  and 
more  difficult  to  understand."  This  author;  the  nomenclature  of  whose  book  is 
derived  chiefly  from  Dr.  Rush's  "  Philosophy  of  the  Voice,"  should  have  read 
more  closely.  The  Melody  of  Cadence,  as  treated  by  Rush,  is  one  of  the  most 
positive  and  useful  contributions  to  the  Science  of  Elocution.  It  will  be  found 
on  careful  reading  that  he  is  very  clear  on  the  subject,  and  that  Cadence  is  not 
only  not  "  difficult  to  understand  "  but  with  a  little  practice  is  easy  "  to  acquire." 


268 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


There   are   five   divisions   of   Cadence,    as   shown   in  the 
following  diagram  :  — 

C  i.    Monad 


CADENCE 


2.    Duad 


3.  Triad 

4.  Tetrad 

5.  Pentad 


First 
Second 


Falling 


These  Cadences  may  be  illustrated  as  follows  :  - 
Monad  Duad  Triad 


•v 

*\ 

J 

ej 

^ 

\ 

\  ^ 

3 

^ 

"^ 

First 


Tetrad 


Second  Rising  Falling 

Pentad 


I.    The  Monad. 

In  a  Monad  the  Cadence  occurs  on  a  single  syllable. 
The  three  constituents  (i.  e.  the  steps  or  degrees  of  pitch 
already  referred  to)  are  passed  over  in  one  note.  This  is 
the  strongest  'of  the  Cadences,  and  is  used  when  the  ulti- 
mate syllable  of  the  closing  word  is  heavily  accented,  or 
when  the  sentence  ends  with  a  very  emphatic  monosylla- 
ble, e.  g. : 


J   J  ^  <- 

y  j  j  j  <. 

y  j  j    j 

J  J  J 

*\ 

&•  6?  

<J 

\ 

Our     leg   -  is   -   la  -  live  pow    er         o  -  ver   the  col  -  o  -  nies    is        su  -  preme. 

Chatham. 


MELODY.  269 


^     cJ     J      J    J      ^  °\ 

J 

J 

J 

» 

c 

/ 

\ 

We      have      but         to     reach    forth  to      it,          and        it  is  ours. 

Webster. 

2.    The  Duad. 

In  a  Duad  the  Cadence  is  made  on  the  last  two  syllables 
of  the  sentence.  There  are  two  divisions  of  this  Cadence, 
the  First  Duad,  and  the  Second  Duad. 

(i)  In  the  First  Duad  the  first  two  constituents  of  the 
Cadence  are  joined  in  one  Falling  slide  on  the  syllable  last 
but  one  ;  the  last  syllable  occupies  the  third  constituent 
in  a  short  Falling  slide.  This  Cadence  is  used  when  the 
penultimate  syllable  of  the  sentence  is  accented,  as  indicated 
by  the  shaded  note  in  the  following  illustration  : 


/   J     cl    J       , 


I 


The  French  Rev  -   o   -   lu  -  tion      be  -  gan  with  great  and  fa  -  tal          er  -  rors. 

Mackintosh. 


/ 

/ 

^  k 

A    /            /      / 

J 

J 

J 

J     ^ 

^  J  d  d 

_  °\ 

He       un    -   der  -  stood  his      sub  -  jects     and    knew    how        to         ex     -    cite  them. 

Thompson. 

(2)  In  the  Second  Duad  the  penultimate  syllable  of  the 
sentence  rises  on  the  first  constituent ;  the  second  and  third 
constituents  are  joined  in  one  Falling  slide  on  the  ultimate 
syllable.  This  Cadence  is  used  when  the  ultimate  syllable 
of  the  sentence  is  moderately  strong. 

It  will  be  found  that  the  Monad  and  Second  Duad  are 
often  interchangeable,  the  choice  between  them  being 
dependent  upon  the  Emphasis. 


2/O  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 


d   <^   j   J   j  d   J   J   d  \ 


The    wings     of       the    mom  -  ing       are      the    beams    of       the        ris     -     ing  sun. 

Webster, 


cf    J 

£ 

J 

^J< 

y  v  ^  ~i  v  -/ 

v 

V  j 

o^ 

J~ 

_    ^        c/ 

1 

3 

Nev  -  er     was      a     eu  -  lo  -  gy   pro-nounced  up-on  a  bod  -  y    more      de  -  served. 

Burke. 

3.    The  Triad. 

In  a  Triad  the  Cadence  requires  three  syllables,  each  one 
occupying  a  constituent. 

There  are  two  divisions  of  this  cadence,  the  Rising  Triad, 
and  the  Falling  Triad. 

(i)  In  the  Rising  Triad  the  first  two  constituents  have 
each  the  Rising  Concrete,  and  the  third  has  the  Falling.  It 
is  appropriate  when  the  last  three  syllables  of  the  sentence 
are  about  equally  emphatic,  e.  g. 


J     J     J 

^        ,     J     j 

J    d 

J 

Jj 

5 

I          can    -   not          tear         my        soul      from     my     moth  -  er's          old  arm  chair. 


^/  <y     /  c/ 


He         sits        in         his  ea    -     sy          chair          and        reads        all  day  long. 

(2)  In  the  Falling  Triad  all  the  constituents  of  the 
Cadence  have  Falling  slides.  It  is  used  when  the  ante- 
penultimate syllable  of  the  sentence  is  accented,  e.  g. 


MELODY.  271 


2 

V 

•jj.j 

j  J  j  J     ^^ 

~\  j 

c\ 
I               I 

Be  -  fore  writ  -  ing    was      in  -  vent  -  ed,  ex  -  act  knowl-edge  was    im    -    pos-si-ble. 

Froude. 


1 

j  <J  j    j    Tj 

^      J 

J    j    J 

J.    ^ 

\ 

~tr  ^/            C/           C/ 

B 

I        will      come    to        the         di    -    rect    charg  -  es        a  -  gainst  your     char-ac-ter. 

Demosthenes. 

These  are  all  the  Cadences  enumerated  by  Dr.  Rush  except 
the  False  Cadence  and  the  Prepared  Cadence.  He  explains  that 
in  the  former  the  middle  constituent  of  the  Cadence  is  omitted, 
and  the  impression  upon  the  ear  is  unreposeful.  It  is,  in  short,  an 
unsuccessful  attempt  at  a  Cadence.  If,  then,  it  is  a  fault  of  ex- 
pression, we  think  it  deserves  no  place  in  our  classification. 

The  latter  —  the  Prepared  Cadence  —  he  calls  a  note  of  warn- 
ing, given  a  few  syllables  previous  to  the  Cadence,  that  the  sen- 
tence and  period  are  about  to  come  to  a  close.  This  is  done  by 
a  Downward  step  of  a  Third,  or  more  as  the  case  may  be,  to  the 
line  of  repose,  where  the  note  rises.  But  as  it  is  only  a  peculiar 
feature  of  the  Current  Melody,  and  can  be  so  accounted  for,  we 
claim  that  this  also  should  be  omitted  from  the  classification. 

There  are,  however,  sentences  whose  structure  at  the  close  will 
not  admit  of  any  of  the  Cadences  already  treated.  To  meet  this 
want,  we  here  supplement  the  Rush  classification  with  two  other 
Cadences,  which,  from  analogy,  we  name  the  Tetrad,  and  Pentad. 

4.    The  Tetrad. 

In  the  Tetrad  there  are  four  syllables  in  the  Cadence, 
each  having  a  Falling  Concrete.  It  is  used  only  when  the 
last  strongly  accented  syllable  of  the  sentence  is  the  preante- 
penult,  e.  g. 


He   does  not   pro  -  fess    to      be      re  -  lat  -  ing  facts,   he      is      i    -    de  •  al-  iz-ing . 


2/2  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


J  d  J  d  J 

—7—  -7  —j  r«^  

J       ^ 

He     un  -  der- takes     no    work     that     he      does  not      do       ar    -    tist- ic - al '•  ly. 

5.    The  Pentad. 

In  the  Pentad  there  are  five  syllables  in  the  Cadence, 
each  having  a  Falling  slide.  It  is  used  only  when  the  last 
strongly  accented  syllable  of  the  sentence  is  the  propre- 
antepenult,  e.g. 


/                 J 

J         c 

J    E     ~d 

1                    "~\  ' 
d                      "^ 

~S 

The        man's         life  was  one  of  pure  dis    -    in-ter-est-ed-ness 


J 


It  was  not  on       •       ly  well         done,  but  ar  -  tist-ic-al-ly  so. 

6.    Law  of  Use  of  Cadence. 

In  Broken  Melody  the  Concretes  and  Discretes  take 
wider  intervals,  and  in  Chromatic  Melody  narrower  intervals 
than  are  required  by  the  Diatonic  Melody,  but  Cadence 
may  be  adapted  to  all  kinds  of  Melody.  The  kind 
of  Cadence  to  be  used  is  determined  (i)  by  the  logical 
meaning  or  Emphasis,  and  (2)  by  the  position  of  the  accent  at 
the  close  of  the  sentence. 

First.  In  order  to  show  that  Emphasis  helps  to  deter- 
mine Cadence,  let  us  take  the  sentence,  "You  can't  paint 
sound,"  and  read  it  with  different  Emphases.  If  the  author 
means  to  convey  that  one  may  paint  color  but  not  sound, 
the  Cadence  must  be  either  the  Monad  or  the  Second  Duad, 


MELODY.  2/3 

with  the  Emphasis  upon  the  word  "  sound."  If  the  idea 
is  that  one  may  hear  sound  but  cannot  -paint  it,  the 
correct  Cadence  must  be  the  First  Duad.  If  one  has  said 
he  can  paint  sound,  and  you  wish  to  contradict  the  state- 
ment, then  the  Falling  Triad  is  the  only  admissible  Cadence, 
making  can't  the  strongest  syllable.  If  the  Emphasis  be 
balanced  on  the  last  three  words,  which  seems  to  be  the 
proper  reading,  making  a  calm  statement  of  fact  that  it  is 
impossible  to  paint  sound,  the  Rising  Triad  is  the  only  appro- 
priate Cadence. 

Second.  To  show  the  influence  of  the  position  of  the 
accent,  take  the  sentence,  "  The  man  was  disbelieved ; "  as 
it  stands,  with  the  accent  moderately  strong  on  the  ultimate 
syllable,  the  Second  Duad  would  be  the  proper  Cadence  ; 
but  if  on  account  of  contrast  the  accent  be  drawn  back  to 
the  antepenult,  dis,  the  only  appropriate  Cadence  would  be 
the  Falling  Triad.  Again,  if  a  sentence  close  with  such  a 
word  as  "overthrow"  the  form  of  the  Cadence  would 
depend  upon  the  placing  of  the  accent,  which,  in  turn, 
would  depend  upon  the  meaning,  of  the  word. 

To  recapitulate,  in  determining  Cadence,  observe  the  fol- 
lowing laws  :  — 

(1)  When  the  ultimate  syllable  of  the  sentence  is  very 
strong,  use  the  Monad ; 

(2)  When  the  ultimate  is  moderately  strong,  use  the  Second 
Duad; 

(3)  When  the  penult  is  strong,  use  the  First  Duad ; 

(4)  When  the  last  three  syllables  are  about  equally  em- 
phatic, use  the  Rising  Triad  ; 

(5)  When  the  antepenult  is  strongest,  use  the  Falling 
Triad ; 

(6)  When  the  preantepenult  is  the  last  strong  syllable 
in  the  sentence,  use  the  Tetrad ;  and 

(7)  When  the  propreantepenult  is  the  last  strong  syllable, 
use  the  Pentad. 


2/4  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Dr.  Rush  says  :  "  The  person  who  studies  Cadence  will  not  find 
himself  at  the  end  of  a  sentence  with  a  syllable  that  seems  out  of 
joint  with  its  intonation." 

In  this  connection  let  us  note  some  of  the  principal 

7.    Defects  in  Cadence. 

(1)  Dropping  the  voice  too  suddenly  at  the  close  of  the 
sentence. 

(2)  Making  the  descent  on  the  first  part  of  the  Cadence 
so  low  as  not  to  leave  room  for  the  last  syllable. 

(3)  Making  the  lowest  note  husky  or  inaudible. 

(4)  Allowing  the  voice  to  rise  on  the  last  syllable  of  the 
Cadence. 

This  is  a  most  common  fault  with  ministers,  so  common, 
indeed,  that  it  is  generally  known  as  the  "  preacher's  Cadence," 
which,  by  the  way,  is  not  a  cadence  but  an  attempt  at  one. 

(5)  Giving  a  note  of  song,  on  the  last  syllable. 

(6)  Giving  the  last  syllable  a  Concrete   Semitone,  often 
turning  plain  discourse  into  pathos. 

(7)  Making  a  Cadence  where  the  thought  is  not  complete. 
This  is  very  common  in  the  reading  of  poetry. 

8.    Sentences  Illustrating  Cadence. 

Let  the  student  determine  upon  and  execute  correctly  the 
Cadences  in  the  following  sentences: 

(1)  And  if  the  war  must  go  on,  why  put  off  longer  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence?  —  Webster. 

(2)  There  is  nothing  sinister  which  can  happen  to  you,  in  which 
we  shall  not  be  involved. — Burke. 

(3)  Grovelling   souls   are   utterly  incapable  of  elevating  them- 
selves to  the  higher  and  nobler  duties  of  pure  patriotism.  —  Clay. 

(4)  I  know  the  skill  of  your  officers.  —  Chatham. 

(5)  We  shall  make  this  a  glorious,  an  immortal  day. — Webster. 

(6)  His  business  was  carried  on  remuneratively. 


MELODY.  275 

(7)  Famine  besieges.     He  draws  his  lines  round  the  doomed 
garrison.     He  cuts  off  all  supplies.     He  never  summons  to  sur- 
render, for  he  gives  no  quarter.  —  Prentiss. 

(8)  His  course  was  the  outcome  of  his  predisposition  to  specu- 
lativeness. 


From  CLAUDIUS  AND  CYNTHIA. 

(9)  This  explained  all.  The  Emperor  had  demonstrated  his 
right  to  be  called  the  Royal  Bowman  of  the  World. 

Had  the  tyrant  been  content  to  rest  here,  all  would  have  been 
well. 

While  yet  the  beasts  were  struggling  with  death  he  gave  orders 
for  a  shifting  of  the  scenes.  He  was  insatiable. 

For  the  first  time  during  the  ordeal  the  youth's  eyes  moved. 
The  girl,  whose  back  was  turned  toward  the  beasts,  was  still  wait- 
ing for  the  crushing  horror  of  their  assault. —  Maurice  Thompson. 

III.   EXERCISES  IN  WRITING  MELODY. 

The  writing  of  Melody  is  an  admirable  drill  in  the  study 
of  Pitch,  while  its  practice  is  a  discipline  to  ear  and  voice. 
The  organs  come  to  respond  easily  to  the  notations  of 
Melody,  and  it  is  something  of  a  revelation  to  the  student 
to  discover  the  course  the  voice  takes  in  Pitch.  It  will  be 
found  difficult  at  first  to  follow  the  movements,  but  after  a 
few  exercises  one  with  a  reasonably  good  ear  for  tone  will 
be  able  to  record  easily  and  rapidly  the  most  difficult  in- 
flections. By  practising  such  exercises  over  and  over  again 
he  acquires  an  easy  and  varied  use  of  his  own  voice. 

In  writing  Melody  the  following  points  must  be  taken 
into  consideration: 

1.  Give  to  each  separate  syllable  a  note  of  speech. 

2.  Place  the  first  note  on  the  middle  line,  unless  it  should 
happen  to  begin  unusually  high  or  low  in  Pitch  as  compared 
with  the  notes  immediately  following  it.     In  such  cases  lo- 
cate it  accordingly. 


2/6  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

3.  Determine  the  relative  position  of  each  note  by  that 
of  the  one  immediately  preceding  it. 

4.  Determine  the  direction  of  the  Concrete,  whether  it 
be  Rising,  Falling  or  Waving. 

5.  Let  some  one  who  has  had  some  drill  in  this  kind 
of  exercise  and  who   can  use  simple  or  varied  Melody  at 
will,  begin  by  uttering  the  simplest  form  of  Melody  —  we 
will    say  in   counting  —  and   let   the   student  indicate  with 
chalk  or  pencil  the  various  inflections  of  the  voice,  e.  g. 

(i)    Count  in  Monotone    with  Rising  slides  (except  the 
last),  thus, 


J         J        J        J J 


One,       two,       three,        four,        five,         six,       seven,      eight,       nine,        ten. 

(2)    Count  in  Monotone    with  falling  slides, 


^       n 


A 


One,        two,        three,       four,        five,         six,        seven,      eight,        nine,       tei 

(3)    Count  in  Monotone    with  alternating  slides, 


J     ~      J 


One,  two,        three,       four,        five,         six,        seven,      eight,      nine,        ten. 

(4)    Count  in  Ditones, 


J     ^     J 

010 

1      J 

J 

\ 

One,        two,       three,       four,        five,          six,        seven,       eight,      nine,        ten. 


MELODY.  277 

(5)    Count  in  Ditones  with  alternating  slides, 


J    °\    J    °\    J    °\    ^ 


\ 


One,       two,        three,        four,        five,         six,        seve.n,      eight,      nine,       ten. 

(6)    Count  in  Triton es, 

1 J / 


5  ^ 

_/      o/       " 

5  E   _ 

3 

One,        two,        three,       four,        five,         six,        seven,     eight,       nine,        ten. 

(7)    Count  in  alternating  Tritones, 

J       o, 


J    0 

/    ^    -\    ^ 

J 

J    _ 

s 

^ 

One,        two,        three,      four,        five,         six,        seven,      eight,        nine,        ten. 

(8)    At  this  point  the  leader  may  take  some  simple  sen 
tences  like  the  following,  the  first  of  which  we  put  to  Melody: 


J  J 


a.   The  form  -  er       she    would     re  -  gard    as       the        re  -  suit      of       fort  -  une. 

Webster. 

b.  The  war,  then,  must  go  on.     We  must  fight  it  thro'.  —  Ibid. 

c.  The  cause  will  raise  up  armies;  the  cause  will  create  navies. 
—Ibid. 

d.  I  care  not  how  fickle  other  people  have  been  found. — Ibid. 

e.  The  Old  World  stretches  out  her  arms  to  the  new. — Prentiss. 

f.  The  starving   parent   supplicates  the   young   and  vigorous 
child  for  bread. — Ibid. 

g.  The  earth  has  failed  to  give  her  increase. — Ibid. 

h.  Famine  besieges.  He  draws  his  lines  round  the  doomed 
garrison. — Ibid. 

i.  He  never  summons  to  surrender,  for  he  gives  no  quarter.  — 
Ibid. 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


This  list  of  exercises  may  be  extended  at  the  pleasure  of  the 
student  A  very  good  private  practice  would  be  for  him  to  put 
to  Melody  select  passages  and  submit  them  to  his  instructor  for 
corrections.  This  is  an  invaluable  drill  for  acquiring  control  over 
the  various  Degrees  and  Intervals  of  Pitch. 

IV.   VOCAL  CULTURE  OF  MELODY. 

Practice  is  necessary  not  only  to  attain  an  art  but  also 
to  maintain  it.  The  following  exercises  are  designed  to 
give  smoothness  and  flexibility  of  voice  and  varied  Melody 
to  speech. 

1.  Using  the  notes  of  the  musical  scale  severally  as  bases 
for  Concretes,  speak  the  syllable  ah  up  and  down  through 
the  octave. 

2.  Sing  and  speak  the  following  sentences  from  Patrick 
Henry  as  indicated  below: 


\ 


tr  j-sr-  jd~ 

What   is     it    that gen-tle-men  wish?    What  is     it  that  gen-tlemen  wish? 

Henry. 


/ 

J 

0, 

(( 

5         J 

J    \ 

What  would  they      have? 


Wliat  would  they     have? 
Ibid 


MELODY.  279 

Give  the  following  sentences  in  a  similar  manner: 

(i)   The  gentleman  tells  us  America  is  obstinate;  America  is 
almost  in  open  rebellion.  —  Chatham. 

•  (2)   Would  you  have  me  point  out  the  meadow  of  the  birds?  — 
Chrysostom. 

(3)   Would  you  wrest  the  wreath  of  fame  from  the  hand  of  fate  ? 

3.  In  the  following  sentences  begin  high  in  Pitch  and 
gradually  move  downward: 

(1)  Ah,  me  !  Ah,  me  !  those  days,  those  days  ! 

(2)  How  the  signboard  creaks  all  day  long. 

(3)  All  gloom,  all  silence,  all  despair. 

4.  With  the  syllable  la  execute  the  seven  Cadences  as 
illustrated  on  page  268. 

5.  Read  the  sentence,   "You  can't  paint  sound,"  in  all 
the  Cadences  except  the  Tetrad  and  Pentad. 


CHAPTER   IV.  —  TIME. 
I.     DEFINITION    AND    DIVISIONS. 

Time  is  the  duration  of  utterance.  It  relates  to  the 
length  of  vocal  sounds  and  syllables,  the  rests  which 
occur  at  intervals  between  them,  and  the  measure  and 
rate  with  which  they  are  uttered.  Its  subdivisions  are  : 
Quantity,  Pause,  and  Movement. 

Briefly  denned,  Quantity  is  the  length  of  time  given  to 
the  utterance  of  sounds  and  syllables;  Pause  is  the  cessa- 
tion of  utterance  between  sounds  and  syllables;  and  Move- 
ment is  the  degree  of  rapidity  or  slowness  and  the  measure 
of  vocal  impulses  given  to  successive  sounds  and  syllables. 

II.     ADAPTATION    TO   THE   TRIUNE    NATURE. 

A  further  analysis  of  Time  shows  it  to  be  a  generic  vocal 
element  conformable  to  man's  Triune  Nature,  and  conse- 
quently it  is  essential  to  expression.  Observe  the  following 
analogy:  — 

,  JI.  .Mental  --------  Pause  ---  „ 

MAN     .^rl  __JII.  Emotiye.-.       .-.Quantity.-.      rili-»  TIME 

(as  a  Psychic^  -  „  ^-/a  generic  vo- 

>-t  VitaJ  _________  -Movem-ent.^'        cal  element> 


The  cry  of  a  child  in  long  Quantity  expresses  his  Emo- 
tion aroused  by  some  irritating  influence  which  he  cannot 
control;  when  he  shapes  this  vocal  stream  into  speech,  by 
means  of  numerous  little  Pauses  or  joints  of  articulation, 
Mentality  is  added  and  we  know  why  he  cries;  and  by  the 
rapid  or  slow  Movement  of  the  impulses  of  his  voice  we 
detect  the  Vitality  with  which  his  body  responds  to  the 
moving  cause  of  his  crying. 


QUANTITY.  28l 

A  groan  of  sorrow  is  in  Long  Quantity,  while  the  ringing 
laughter  of  joy  is  made  up  of  impulses  in  Short  Quantity; 
here  Quantity  responds  especially  to  the  Emotive  nature. 

Pauses  divide  spoken  language  into  words  and  groups 
of  words  embodying  the  ideas,  making  them  clear  to  the 
understanding;  hence  Pause  corresponds  to  the  Mental 
nature. 

Man  "keeps  time"  to  music,  walks  slowly  in  meditation 
or  feebleness,  and  runs  in  excitement;  these  are  physical 
manifestations  dependent  upon  vital  conditions  and  measured 
by  Movement,  which  manifestly  belongs  to  the  Vital  nature. 

The  further  differentiation  of  these  subdivisions  of  Time 
will  be  shown  in  their  individual  treatment  in  the  following 
sections: 


SECTION   L  — QUANTITY. 

Quantity  is  the  Time  spent  in  the  utterance  of  individ- 
ual sounds  and  syllables. 

I.    INTRINSIC  TIME-VALUE  OF  SOUNDS. 

In  order  that  we  may  best  understand  the  time-value  of 
words  in  vocal  expression,  let  us  look  into  their  construc- 
tion and  see  if  there  is  not  a  Quantity  that  every  English 
sound  and  syllable  has  in  itself.  Some  letters  are  by  nature 
and  of  necessity  longer  than  others.  It  is  an  ignorance  of 
the  time-value  of  words  that  causes  many  persons  uncon- 
sciously to  fall  into  the  habit  of  drawling.  Others,  on  the 
contrary,  make  use  of  a  curt,  snappy  utterance  that  is  quite 
as  disagreeable.  Now  it  is  not  sufficient  to  tell  the  student 
not  to  "drawl."  He  must  know  why»he  drawls  and  how  to 
correct  it.  When  he  has  learned  the  intrinsic  time- value 
of  the  syllable  he  can  correct  his  own  faults  of  Quantity. 


282  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Because  of  its  importance  in  connection  with  Quantity, 
we  wish  to  treat  more  fully  the  Intrinsic  Time- Value  of 
Sounds  and  Syllables  already  referred  to  pp.  46  and  65. 
English  sounds,  when  examined  as  to  their  Quantity,  without 
regard  to  expression,  will  be  found  to  belong  to  one  of  two 
classes  :  Stopt  or  Continuant. 

i .    Stopt  Sounds. 

Stopt  sounds  are  such  as  cannot  be  held  profitably  for 
any  considerable  length  of  time,  i.e.,  it  is  not  in  good  taste 
or  agreeable  to  the  ear  to  prolong  them.  It  is  physically 
impossible  to  do  so  without  drawling  them.  The  student  is 
advised  here  to  review  carefully  the  table  of  English  Quan- 
tities (p.  46). 

The  sounds  of  s  and  sh,  although  of  this  class,  may  be 
excepted  occasionally  for  purposes  of  expression,  e.g.  when 
s  is  used  in  the  hiss,  and  sh  in  the  injunction  to  silence,  or 
when  they  are  used  onomatopoetically  in  such  words  as 
hist,  silence,  hush,  or  crash,  in  which  these  sounds  are  inti- 
mately associated  with  the  sense  and  become  particularly 
expressive,  they  may  be  prolonged  to  advantage. 

It  must  not  be  understood  that  all  Stopt  letters  are  mere 
points  of  sound  incapable  of  prolongation.  They  are 
capable  of  slight  duration,  but  are  not  all  of  the  same 
length,  e.g.,  the  sounds  of  b,  d,  g  and  j  are  longer  than  p, 
t  and  k,  but  not  sufficiently  long  to  be  called  Continuants. 
Any  but  a  slight  prolongation  of  such  sounds  would  be  very 
much  out  of  taste. 

2.    Continuant  Sounds. 

Continuant  sounds  are  such  as  can  be  prolonged  to 
advantage.  The  student  is  referred,  as  before,  to  the  table 
of  English  Quantities  (p.  46).  These  sounds,  being  such 
as  by  nature  cannot  be  properly  produced  without  being 
prolonged,  are  found  invaluable  to  the  reader  in  expressing 
the  beauties  of  poetry. 


QUANTITY.  ,  283 

II.   INTRINSIC  TIME-VALUE  OF  SYLLABLES. 

Syllables  are  necessarily  of  different  lengths  as  are  the 
elements  that  compose  them.  Their  capacity  for  Quantity 
is  dependent  upon  their  construction.  There  are  three 
classes  of  syllables  :  Indefinite,  Mutable,  and  Immutable. 

i .   Indefinite  Syllables. 

• 

Indefinite  syllables,  as  the  word  indicates,  are  such  as 
may  be  prolonged  to  the  fullest  extent  of  Quantity.  Al- 
though intrinsically  long  they  may  be  pronounced  quickly 
in  expression,  or  prolonged  at  will.  The  opportunity  for 
extended  Quantity  in  Indefinites,  however,  should  not  be 
exaggerated  but  allowed  always  to  stop  short  of  a  drawl. 
Indefinites  are  composed  wholly  of  Continuant  sounds,  e.g., 
roll,  maim,  vale,  eve,  roar,  long,  all. 

2.    Mutable  Syllables. 

Mutable  syllables,  as  the  word  indicates,  are  such  as 
are  changeable  in  Quantity.  They  are  composed  of  a  com- 
bination of  Stopt  and  Continuant  sounds,  e.g.,  let,  spoke, 
mart,  board,  black,  boat.  Mutable  syllables  are  not  only 
variable  in  Quantity  separately,  by  pronunciation,  under  dif- 
ferent passions,  but  are  variable  intrinsically  as  compared 
one  with  another.  The  words  let  and  tell,  for  instance,  are 
equally'  valuable  in  Quantity,  the  one  being  long  at  its  open- 
ing, the  other  at  its  close;  mart  is  composed  of  three  con- 
tinuants, m,  a,  r,  and  one  Stopt  letter,  t.  This  makes  the 
syllable  a  very  long  Mutable;  spoke,  on  the  other  hand,  has 
three  Stopts,  S,  p,  k,  and  one  Continuant,  0,  making  it  a 
very  short  Mutable.  All  of  these  syllables  are  capable  of 
Quantity,  the  degree  of  prolongation  depending  upon  the  number 
of  Continuants  in  each.  The  more  Stopt  letters,  the  more 
nearly  does  the  syllable  approach  an  Immutable;  the  more 


284  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Continuants,  the  nearer  approach  to  an  Indefinite  syllable, 
and,  therefore,  the  better  capable  is  it  of  Quantity. 

The  Mutables  far  outnumber  the  Indefinites  or  Immu- 
tables. 

3.   Immutable  Syllables. 

Immutable  syllables  are  such  as,  owing  to  their  form- 
ation, cannot  be  prolonged  to  advantage.  They  are  com- 
posed of  Stopt  sounds  only,  e.g.,  at,  quick,  bed,  stop,  hip, 
spot,  back,  pretty.  As  the  word  indicates,  they  are  unchange- 
able in  Quantity,  always  short,  This  does  not  imply  that 
all  Immutable  syllables  are  of  precisely  the  same  length; 
that  depends  upon  the  letters  that  compose  them.  As  they 
admit  of  but  slight  Quantity,  any  attempt  to  prolong  them 
would  produce  the  drawl.  They  are,  however,  of  great 
expressional  value  when  used  in  conjunction  with  Explo- 
sive Form  and  its  associated  elements. 

It  is  very  common  in  reading  and  speaking  for  people  to 
violate  Quantity.  //  is  not  necessary  because  sounds  have  the 
same  diacritical  marks  to  pronounce  them  precisely  alike.  Dot 
and  dog  have  the  same  mark  and  are  both  Immutable  syl- 
lables, but  are  not  of  equal  value  in  Quantity,  because  g  is 
longer  than  /.  A  Continuant  sound  is  more  valuable  at  the 
beginning  or  end  of  a  syllable  than  when  hedged  in  by  two 
Stopts.  The  intrinsic  Quantity  of  a  syllable  depends  upon  its 
constituent  sounds  and  their  relative  position. 

As  a  practical  exercise  the  student  may  select  some  paragraph 
and  indicate  the  class  to  which  each  syllable  belongs. 

III.    QUANTITY  AS  A  VOCAL  ELEMENT. 

Dr.  Rush  says  that  "a  judicious  use  of  the  variations  of 
Quantity  is  the  very  life  of  Elocution."  We  have  already 
shown  the  value  of  syllables  in  themselves;  we  shall  now 
explain  them  in  their  relation  to  the  various  styles  of  thought 
to  be  expressed.  Quantity  as  a  vocal  element  has  to  do 


QUANTITY.  285 

with  the  expression  of  sentiment  and  emotion.     It  is  the 

especial  agent  of  the  Emotive  nature,  and  is  so  ranked  in 
our  classification.  The  variations  of  light  and  shade  in 
Time,  the  delicate  attenuations  of  tone  to  express  the  dif- 
ferent shades  of  feeling ;  the  prolonging  of  this  tone  to 
express  gloom,  the  clipping  of  that  one  to  express  impatience; 
the  placid  flow  of  tone  in  the  expression  of  tranquility,  and 
the  sprightly  utterance  of  gayety,  are  beauties  of  utterance 
produced  by  the  right  use  of  Quantity.  The  toll  of  the 
funeral  bell,  the  moan  of  the  wind,  the  long  drawn  notes  of 
the  dove  excite  in  us  solemnity  &&&  pathos;  the  ringing  laugh 
and  the  clapping  of  hands  excite  altogether  different  feelings. 
These  are  natural  expressions  of  feeling  and  passion.  They 
excite  in  the  human  mind  like  feelings  and  require  from  us 
the  same  elements  to  express  them.  All  emotions  have 
their  corresponding  Quantities,  and  we  must  not  rob  them 
of  their  true  meaning  by  dissociating  the  thought  from  its 
appropriate  Quantity. 

Some  speakers  violate  this  principle  by  attempting  to  secure 
long  Quantities  by  longer  and  more  frequent  Pauses,  paying  little 
or  no  attention  to  the  words  themselves.  This  is  injudicious 
compensation  and  becomes  offensive  to  the  cultivated  ear,  for  the 
opportunities  for  graceful  and  natural  effects  in  intonation  have 
been  thrown  away. 

The  divisions  of  Quantity  are  Long,  Medium  and  Short. 

IV.   ANALOGY  BETWEEN  FORM,  QUANTITY,  AND  INTRINSIC 
TIME-VALUES. 

Quantity  is  a  specific  division  of  the  generic  element, 
Time.  Its  subdivisions  —  Long,  Medium  and  Short — mark 
simply  the  degrees  of  Quantity,  and  we  must  find  their  re- 
sponse to  the  triune  nature  through  their  correspondence 
with  some  other  element  (see  p.  86).  To  show  this  corre- 
spondence let  us  note  briefly  the  intimate  relation  existing 


286 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


between  Form  and  Quantity  and  the  intrinsic  Time-value*  of 
syllables  in  the  following  diagram : 


FORM. 


QUANTITY. 


TIME- VALUE  OF 
SYLLABLES. 


Effusive 

Long 

Indefinite 

Expulsive 

Medium 

Mutable 

Explosive 

Short 

Immutable 

In  a  previous  chapter  (p.  114)  we  have  illustrated  the 
three  Forms,  shown  their  correspondence  to  the  Mental, 
Emotive,  and  Vital  natures  of  man,  and  explained  their  use 
in  Nature  and  expression.  When  a  sentiment  requires 
Effusive  Form,  the  Quantity  is  generally  (not  always)  Long 
and  the  syllables  are  mostly  Indefinite  or  Mutable  ;  when 
-the  sentiment  requires  Expulsive  Form,  the  Quantity  is 
usually  Medium  and  the  syllables  may  be  .Indefinite, 
Mutable,  or  Immutable,  but  they  must  be  pronounced 
quickly;  when  we  use  Explosive  Form,  the  Quantity  is 
generally  short  and  the  syllables,  if  not  intrinsically  short, 
must  be  made  so  by  pronunciation. 

I.   Long  Quantity. 
(i)   Use  in  Expression. 

Long  Quantity,  then,  is  used  to  express  the  same  sen- 
timents and  emotions  as  is  the  Effusive  Form,  viz.,  pathos, 
solemnity,  sorrow,  sublimity,  awe,  reverence,  adoration;  and 
with  Expulsive  Form,  apostrophe,  commanding,  and  calling. 

That  writer  is  the  most  skillful  who  chooses  Indefinite 
syllables  to  express  these  sentiments.  If  Indefinites  are 
not  available,  then  long  Mutables  are  next  most  fitting. 
Certain  it  is  that  the  fewer  Immutables  there  are  the  better 
is  the  language  adapted  to  the  sentiment. 

In  delivering  passages  that  require  Long  Quantity  the 
student  should  first  seek  out  the  words  that  embody  the  senti- 


QUANTITY.  287 

ment,  look  in  those  words  for  the  Indefinite  sounds  and  syllables, 
and  on  these  sounds  and  syllables  execute  Long  Quantity.  In 
deliberate  utterance  of  grand  and  dignified  discourse  the  In- 
definite and  Mutable  syllables  should  be  duly  prolonged  to 
give  character  to  expression.  Any  attempt  to  prolong 
Immutable  syllables  will  result  in  a  drawl. 

(2)  Illustrative  Selections. 
From  A  SCRAP-BOOK. 

Far  away  through  all  the  autumn, 

In  a  lonely,  lonely  glade 

In  a  dreary  desolation 

That  the  battle-storm  has  made, 

With  the  rust  upon  his  musket, 

In  the  eve  and  in  the  morn, 

In  the  rank  gloom  of  the  fern-leaves 

Lies  her  noble,  brave  first-born. 

Anon. 

From  THE  FAMINE. 

O,  the  famine  and  the  fever ! 

O,  the  wasting  of  the  famine  ! 

O,  the  blasting  of  the  fever  ! 

O,  the  wailing  of  the  children  ! 

O,  the  anguish  of  the  women  ! 

All  the  earth  was  sick  and  famish'd ; 

Hungry  was  the  air  around  them, 

Hungry  was  the  sky  above  them, 

And  the  hungry  stars  in  heaven 

Like  the  eyes  of  wolves  glared  at  them. 

Longfellow. 

From  CLAUDIUS  AND  CYNTHIA. 

The  Emperor  arose  and  in  a  loud  voice  said  :  "  Behold  the  con- 
demned Claudius,  and  Cynthia  whom  he  lately  took  for  his  wife. 
They  are  condemned  for  the  great  folly  of  Claudius,  that  the 
Roman  people  may  know  that  Commodus  reigns  supreme.  The 


288  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

crime  for  which  they  are  to  die  is  a  great  one.  Claudius  has  pub- 
licly proclaimed  that  he  is  a  better  archer  than  I,  Commodus,  am. 
I  am  the  Emperor  and  the  incomparable  archer  of  Rome  :  who- 
ever disputes  it  dies,  and  his  wife  dies  with  him.  It  is  decreed." 
— Maurice  Thompson. 

2.    Medium  Quantity. 
(i)   Use  in  Expression. 

The  Medium  Quantity  is  generally  used  with  Expulsive 
Form  and  is  heard  in  the  expression  of  those  sentiments 
in  which  the  mind  is  not  agitated  by  any  strong  emotion  or 
unusual  restraint,  viz.,  narration,  description,  didactic,  bold  and 
lofty  thought,  introductions  to  orations,  patriotism  and  courage. 
Mutable  syllables  are  most  appropriate  to  these  styles 
of  thought.  To  give  full  value  in  time  to  the  Indefinites 
used  would  be  out  of  harmony  with  the  quieter  states  of 
mind  They  are  consequently  pronounced  more  quickly 
than  in  solemnity  or  pathos. 

The  Medium  Quantity,  as  the  word  implies,  is  interme- 
diate between  the  Long  and  the  Short,  and  occurs  so  much 
more  frequently  than  the  others  that  it  may  be  said  to  be 
the  rule  and  they  the  exception. 

(2)   Illustrative  Selections. 
From  DESTRUCTION  OF  POMPEII. 

The  cloud,  which  had  scattered  so  deep  a  murkiness  over  the 
day,  had  now  settled  into  a  solid  and  impenetrable  mass.  It  re- 
sembled less  even  the  thickest  gloom  of  a  night  in  the  open  air 
than  the  close  and  blind  darkness  of  some  narrow  room.  But, 
in  proportion  as  the  blackness  gathered,  did  the  lightnings  around 
Vesuvius  increase  in  their  vivid  and  scorching  glare.  Nor  was 
their  horrible  beauty  confined  to  the  usual  hues  of  fire;  no  rain- 
bow ever  rivalled  their  varying  and  prodigal  dyes.  Now  brightly 
blue  as  the  most  azure  depth  of  a  southern  sky,  —  now  of  a  livid 
and  snake-like  green,  darting  restlessly  to  and  fro  as  the  folds  of 


QUANTITY.  289 

an  enormous  serpent,  —  now  of  a  lurid  and  intolerable  crimson, 
gushing  forth  through  the  columns  of  smoke,  far  and  wide,  and 
lighting  up  the  whole  city  from  arch  to  arch,  —  then  suddenly 
dying  into  a  sickly  paleness,  like  the  ghost  of  their  own  life.  — 
Bulwer-Lytton. 

From  DJLV1KK  PROVIDENCE  IN  NATURE. 

Contemplate  with  me  the  beauty  of  the  sky;  how  it  has  been 
preserved  so  long  without  being  dimmed;  and  remains  as  bright 
and  clear  as  if  it  had  been  fabricated  to-day;  moreover,  the  power 
of  the  Earth,  how  it  has  not  become  effete  by  bringing  forth 
during  so  long  a  time  !  Contemplate  with  me  the  fountains;  how 
they  burst  forth  and  fail  not,  since  the  time  they  were  begotten, 
to  flow  forth  continually  throughout  the  day  and  night !  Con- 
template with  me  the  sea,  receiving  so  many  rivers,  yet  never 
exceeding  its  measure  !  But  how  long  might  we  continue  to 
pursue  things  incomprehensible  !  It  is  fit,  indeed,  that,  over  every 
one  of  these  which  have  been  spoken  of,  we  should  say,  "  O  Lord, 
how  hast  Thou  magnified  Thy  Works  !  in  wisdom  hast  Thou 
made  them  all."  —  Chrysostom. 

From  PATRIOTISM. 

Breathes  there  the  man,  with  soul  so  dead, 
Who  never  to  himself  hath  said, 

This  is  my  own,  my  native  land  ! 
Whose  heart  hath  ne'er  within  him  burn'd, 
As  home  his  footsteps  he  hath  turn'd, 

From  wandering  on  a  foreign  strand  ! 
If  such  there  breathe,  go,  mark  him  well; 
For  him  no  minstrel  raptures  swell; 
High  though  his  titles,  proud  his  name; 
Boundless  his  wealth  as  wish  can  claim; 
Despite  those  titles,  power,  and  pelf, 
The  wretch,  concentred  all  in  self, 
Living,  shall  forfeit  fair  renown, 
And,  doubly  dying,  shall  go  down 
To  the  vile  dust,  from  whence  he  sprung, 
Unwept,  unhonored,  and  unsung. 

Scott. 


2QO  PRACTICAL   ELOCUTION. 

3.    Short  Quantity. 
(i)   Use  in  Expression. 

Short  Quantity  is  inseparable  from  Expulsive  or  Explo- 
sive Forms,  and  is  appropriately  used  to  express  joy,  mirth, 
laughter,  exciting  appeal,  impatience,  detestation,  fright,  anger 
and  contempt. 

The  Intrinsic  Quantities  best  adapted  to  abrupt  and 
excited  speech  are  Immutable  and  short  Mutable  syllables. 
The  Indefinite  and  long  Mutables  can,  however,  in  ex- 
pression be  pronounced  with  abruptness  so  as  not  to  mar 
the  effect.  Let  the  student  as  before  seek  out  the  special 
words  that  best  embody  the  thought,  pronounce  them  abruptly, 
and  their  expression  will  give  color  to  the  entire  passage. 
The  following  extracts  are  to  be  read  with  strong  force  and 
abruptness  on  the  expressive  syllables.  Any  attempt  to 
prolong  the  Quantities  would  greatly  weaken  the  effect. 

(2)  Illustrative  Selections. 

From  L'ALLEGRO. 

Haste  thee,  nymph,  and  bring  with  thee 
Jest  and  youthful  Jollity, 
Quips,  and  cranks,  and  wanton  wiles, 
Nods,  and  becks,  and  wreathed  smiles, 
Such  as  hang  on  Hebe's  cheek, 
And  love  to  live  in  dimple  sleek; 
Sport  that  wrinkled  care  derides, 
And  Laughter  holding  both  his  sides. 
Come,  and  trip  it  as  you  go 
On  the  light  fantastic  toe. 

Milton. 

From  LOCHIEL'S  WAWOKG. 

False  wizard,  avaunt !     I  have  marshall'd  my  clan, 
Their  swords  are  a  thousand,  —  their  bosoms  are  one  ! 
They  are  true  to  the  last  of  their  blood  and  their  breath, 
And  like  reapers  descend  to  the  harvest  of  death. 


QUANTITY.  291 

Then  welcome  be  Cumberland's  steed  to  the  shock, 
Let  him  dash  his  proud  foam  like  a  wave  on  the  rock  ! 
But  woe  to  his  kindred,  and  woe  to  his  cause, 
When  Albion  her  claymore  indignantly  draws  ! 

Campbell. 

From  ZING  HENRY  IV.    Part  I,  Act  4,  Scene  i. 

No  more,  no  more  :  worse  than  the  sun  in  March, 

This  praise  doth  nourish  agues.     Let  them  come; 

Tjiey  come  like  sacrifices  in  their  trim, 

And  to  the  fire-eyed  maid  of  smoky  war, 

All  hot  and  bleeding,  will  we  offer  them: 

The  mailed  Mars  shall  on  his  altar  sit 

Up  to  the  ears  in  blood.     I  am  on  fire 

To  hear  this  rich  reprisal  is  so  nigh, 

And  yet  not  ours.  —  Come,  let  me  take  my  horse, 

Who  is  to  bear  me,  like  a  thunderbolt, 

Against  the  bosom  of  the  Prince  of  Wales: 

Harry  and  Harry  shall,  hot  horse  to  horse, 

Meet,  and  ne'er  part  till  one  drop  down  a  corse. 

,  Shakespeare. 

V.   VOCAL  CULTURE  OF  QUANTITY. 

The  following  exercises  are  designed  to  give  ease  in  the 
execution  of  all  degrees  of  Quantity: 

1.  Give  the  Continuant  sounds  a,  e,  1,  6,  u,  oi,  ou;  1, 
m,  n,  ng;  and  r,  v,  z,  with  a  pure  Quality  of  voice  pro- 
longing each  letter  as  much  as  possible  without  drawling  it. 

2.  Give  the  Stopt  letters  a,  6,  i,  6,  u,  f,  k,  p,  t,  s  in  the 
shortest  Quantity  consistent  with  distinctness. 

3.  Practice  the  swell  of  the  voice  in  notes  of  song  on 
the  Continuant  sounds  e,  a,  a,  o,  1,  m,  n,  ng,  attenuating 
the  sound  toward  the  close  until  it  gradually  "knits  with 
silence"  (p.  161). 

4.  Pronounce  distinctly  with  the  longest  consistent  Quan- 
tity the  following  words:  toll,  true,  march,  catch,  ah,  beat, 
arm,  mart,  botch,  blood,  love,  home,  hut,  mother. 


PRACTICAL   ELOCUTION. 

5.    Practice  the  following  sentences  in  their  appropriate 
Quantities : 

(1)  Move  on,  thou  arm  of  law. 

(2)  Pick  it  up  quick,  Jack. 

(3)  Let  them  try  him. 

(4)  And  he  rolls,  rolls,  rolls,  rolls  a  pean  from  the  bells.  —  Poe. 

(5)  How  they  tinkle,  tinkle,  tinkle  in  the  icy   air  of  night.  — 
Ibid. 

(6)  Voices  come  at  night  recalling 

Years  and  years  ago.  /.  F.  Waller. 

(7)  Back  to  thy  punishment,  false  fugitive.  —  Milton. 

(8)  How  it  tolls  for  the  souls  of   the  sailors  on  the  sea. — 
Aldrich. 

(9)  Be  ready,  Gods,  with  all  your  thunderbolts,  dash  him  to 
pieces.  —  Shakespeare. 

(10)  And  every  word  its  ardor  flung 
From  off  its  jubilant  iron  tongue, 

Was  "  War  !  War  !  War  !  "  T.  B.  Read. 

(u)   Swung  by  Seraphim,  whose  faint  foot-falls  tinkled  on  the 
tufted  floor.  —  Poe. 

(12)   Cheerily  calling,  "  Co',  boss  !  co',  boss  !  co' !  co' !  co'!  " 

Further,  further  over  the  hill, 

Faintly  calling,  calling  still,  — 

«  Co',  boss  !  co',  boss  !  co' !  co' !  " 


SECTION   II.  — PAUSE. 

A  Pause  is  the  Time  spent  between  the  impulses  of 
the  voice  in  the  utterance  of  sounds,  syllables  or  words. 
This  Time  may  be  a  silence  caused  by  a  complete  cessa- 
tion of  vibration,  or  it  may  be  filled  with  a  stream  of  sound 
attenuated  until  the  word  following  is  begun.  A  Pause, 
then,  does  not  always  mean  a  complete  stoppage.  The 
euphony  of  language  very  often  requires  the  rhythmic  flow 


PAUSE.  293 

of  sound,  while  the  Mental  necessities  must  be  met  by  the 
dividing  influence  of  Pauses. 

Pause  as  an  element  of  expression  has  its  foundation 
in  the  physical  necessities  of  voice  production,  and  in  the 
mental  requirements  of  spoken  language. 

I.   PHYSICAL  NECESSITY. 

The  physical  necessity  is  obvious  in  the  fact  that  the 
exhalations  of  breath  in  vocalization  must  have  correspond- 
ing inhalations  of  air.  For  each  expenditure  of  vital  energy 
there  must  be  a  corresponding  relaxation  and  recuperation 
of  muscle  and  organ;  we  have  seen  (p.  37)  that  voice  pro- 
duction is  a  physical  function  dependent  upon  the  action 
of  the  vocal  and  respiratory  muscles;  hence  the  relaxations 
of  the  vocal  muscles  which  produce  Pauses  in  speech  are 
a  physical  necessity. 

II.    MENTAL  REQUIREMENTS. 

The  mental  necessity  for  pausing  arises  from  the  con- 
struction of  spoken  language.  A  word  being  the  sign  of  an 
idea,  a  single  word  or  a  group  of  words  is  necessary  to  the 
expression  of  a  complete  idea.  The  mind  comprehends  ideas 
only  as  they  are  presented  singly  and  separately,  no  matter 
how  rapidly  they  may  be  given.  By  means  of  Elocution 
we  express  ideas;  then  the  Pause  which  divides  spoken 
language  into  such  parts  as  will  make  the  ideas  intelli- 
gible is  no  less  a  principle  of  expression  in  Elocution 
than  the  Quality,  Force  or  Pitch  in  which  the  words  are 
uttered. 

There  are  also  short  Pauses  between  all  the  syllabic 
impulses,  but  these  need  not  be  noted  in  speech;  the 
only  Pauses  here  considered  are  the  longer  cessations 
which  have  their  value  in  expression.  The  length  of 
these  cessations  must  be  determined  by  the  taste  of  the 
speaker. 


294  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

III.   LAW  OF  USE. 

We  have  seen  that  Pause  belongs  to  the  distinctive 
Mental  division  'of  Time.  Then  the  application  of  Pauses 
must  depend  upon  this  fundamental  law:  Words  necessary 
to  convey  each  idea  of  a  sentence  must  be  grouped  to- 
gether and  separated  from  adjacent  groups  by  Pauses. 

In  the  sentence,  "John  went  to  town  *;  bought  a  new 
hat  *i  and  returned  home,"  there  are  three  distinct  ideas 
which  are  separated  by  rests.  In  this  sentence  some  gram- 
marians would  place  commas  where  the  rests  appear,  while 
others  would  use  the  comma  only  after  the  word  "town." 

Note  two  other  illustrations: 

The  gambler  *1  came  *1  at  last,  *1  but  all  was  o'er  ;  *i 
Dread  silence  *1  reigned  *1  around:  *1  the  clock  *1  struck  four. 

Coates. 

There  is  no  doubt  "1  that  the  perception  of  beauty  *1  becomes 
more  exquisite  *1  by  being  studied  "1  and  refined.  1 — Anon. 

The  above  sentences,  punctuated  grammatically  by  the 
usual  marks  and  rhetorically  by  the  rests,  show  more  of  the 
latter  than  the  former.  In  fact  the  last  sentence  has  no 
grammatical  Pause  except  the  period  at  the  close.  Then 
spoken  language  requires  more  Pauses  than  written  language. 
This  is  due  to  the  recognized  fact  that  the  eye  is  quicker  than 
the  ear,  and  the  latter  requires  the  assistance  of  a  greater 
number  of  Pauses.  Furthermore,  there  is  sometimes  a 
conflict  between  the  grammatical  and  the  Rhetorical  Pause, 
as  in  the  following: 

She  half  enclosed  me  with  her  arms,  *1 

She  pressed  me  *1  with  a  meek  embrace;  *1 

And,  bending  back  her  head,  "1  look'd  up,  *! 
And  gazed  upon  my  face. 

Coleridge. 


PAUSE.  295 

When  the  child  went  to  his  solitary  bed,  "1  he  dreamed  *1  about 
the  star;  *1  and  dreamed  *|  that,  lying  where  he  was,  *1  he  saw  a 
train  of  people  *1  taken  up  that  sparkling  road  *1  by  angels.*!  — 
Dickens. 

In  expression  there  is  evidently  no  Pause  after  "  and  "  in 
the  first,  or  "that"  in  the  second  sentence.  The  fact  that 
the  ear  may  have  become  accustomed  to  such  a  pausing- 
place  from  the  habit  of  following  grammatical  Pauses  only, 
is  no  reason  for  its  use  in  reading  aloud  or  speaking. 

Conformable  to  this  general  law  regarding  the  grouping  of 
ideas,  we  have  constructed  the  following  diagram  showing 
the  places  where  Rhetorical  Pauses  should  be  used.  The 
student  should  study  and  apply  these  until  correct  pausing 
becomes  a  habit. 

Pauses  should  be  made  : 


1.  Relative  Pronouns. 

2.  Conjunctions  (conditionally). 

.    •*.    Adjectives   and    Adverbs    following    the   words   they 
BEFORE  -4  J 

modify. 

Infinitive  Phrases  (conditionally). 
Prepositional  Phrases  (conditionally). 


|"  i.  Words  of  a  Series. 

BETWEEN  •<   2.  Words  to  mark  an  Ellipsis. 

[  3.  Clauses. 

1.  Emphatic  Words  (conditionally). 

2.  Words  or  Phrases  used  Independently. 
*   3.  Nominative  Phrases. 

4.  Intransitive  Verbs  (conditionally). 


Any  word  or  group  of  words  expressing  strong  Emotion. 
BEFORE*  I   2.   Transposed  Words  and  Phrases. 

AND      <   3.    Words  or  Phrases  used  in  Apposition. 
AFTER     |  4.   Direct  Quotations. 

5.    Parenthetical  Expressions. 


2Q6  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

IV.   EXPLANATION  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Only  those  Pauses  which  illustrate  the  particular  case  under  consideration 
will  be  marked  in  the  following  sentences : 

i.    Before. 
« 

(i)  Before  Relative  Pronouns. 

The  relative  pronouns  who,  which,  what,  and  that,  in 
their  variations  of  number  and  case,  introduce  new  ideas 
in  a  sentence  and  consequently  should  have  Pauses  before 
them. 

Who.     He  laughs  best  *1  who  laughs  last  —  Anon. 

I  am  the  man  *1  whose  hat  you  took.  —  Anon. 

He  did  not  state  1  whom  he  wished  to  see.  —  Anon. 

Which.     Orlando.     What  were  his  marks  ? 

Rosalind.  A  lean  cheek,  *i  which  you  have  not ;  a  blue  eye, 
and  sunken,  *i  which  you  have  not ;  an  unquestionable  spirit,  *1 
which  you  have  not ;  a  beard  neglected,  "1  which  you  have  not :  — 
but  I  pardon  you  for  that ;  for  simply  your  having  in  beard  is  a 
younger  brother's  revenue. 

Shakespeare. 

What.  I  wish  to  know  *|  what  there  has  been  in  the  conduct 
of  the  British  ministry  for  the  last  ten  years  to  justify  those 
hopes  with  which  gentlemen  have  been  pleased  to  solace  them- 
selves and  the  house.  —  Henry. 

That.     Well  know  we  what  it  was  1  that  brought  the  head 
Of  Anna  Boleyn  to  the  fatal  block. 

Schiller. 

(2)   Before  Conjunctions  (conditionally). 

Whenever  a  conjunction  is  used  conditionally  or  "  dis- 
junctively" there  should  be  a  Pause  before  it.  These 
conjunctions  invariably  introduce  new  ideas. 

Though  he  slay  me,  1  yet  will  I  trust  in  him  ;  1  but  I  will  main- 
tain mine  own  ways  before  him.  — Job  xiii :  15. 


PAUSE.  297 

We  heard  *1  but  refused  the  petition.  —  Anon. 

Neither  hath  this  man  sinned  *|  nor  his  parents.  —  St.  John 
ix:  3. 

The  voyage  of  his  life  becomes  a  joyous  peril ;  and  in  the  midst 
of  all  ambition  can  achieve  *1  or  avarice  amass,  *1  or  rapacity 
plunder,  he  tosses  on  the  surge,  a  buoyant  pestilence.  —  Charles 
Phillips. 

Exception :  When  the  conjunction  joins  two  words  which 
together  make  one  idea  there  should  be  no  Pause  before  it. 

He  is  not  so  tall  as  you  are.  —  Anon. 

"  Nay,  now,  my  child,"  said  Alice  the  nurse, 
"  But  keep  the  secret  for  your  life, 
And  all  you  have  will  be  Lord  Ronald's, 
When  you  are  man  and  wife." 

Tennyson. 

In  these  sentences,  "  tall  as  you "  and  "  man  and  wife " 
represent  each  one  idea. 

(3)  Before  Adjectives  and  Adverbs. 

These  are  the  modifying  parts  of  speech,  and  whenever 
they  follow  the  words  modified  a  Pause  should  precede 
them. 

Adjectives.      They  had  cheeks  like  cherries  *1  red  ; 
He  was  taller,  *1  most  a  head. 

Josie  R.  Hunt. 


Over  the  odorous  fields  were  strown 
Wilting  windrows  of  grass  "1  new-mown. 


Anon. 


Adverbs.      The  work  was  done  *1  neatly,  1  quickly  *1  and  well.  — 
Anon. 

Some  of  them  slept  like  Christian  men  and  women,  *1  peace- 
fully, *1  sweetly,  1  and  quietly.  Others  slept  like  demons,  *| 
malignantly,  *1  hideously,  *1  fiendishly,  as  though  it  was  their 
mission  to  keep  everybody  else  awake.  —  Robert  J.  Burdette. 


298  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

(4)   Before  Infinitive  Phrases  (conditionally). 

The  sign  of  the  root-infinitive  is  to,  though  it  is  some- 
times omitted  by  ellipsis,  in  which  case  its  influence  would 
place  the  Pauses  before  the  conjunctive  word  preceding  it. 

It  takes  nerve  *1  to  bear  suffering.  —  Anon. 

It  is  noble  *1  to  say  little  1  and  (to)  perform  much.  —  Anon. 

As  well  yield  at  once  "1  as  (to)  struggle  vainly.  — Anon. 

Whether  'tis  nobler  in  the  mind  *1  to  suffer 
The  slings  and  arrows  of  outrageous  fortune,  *1 
Or  to  take  arms  against  a  sea  of  troubles, 
And  by  opposing  *1  (to)  end  them  ? 

Exception  I  There  should  be  no  Pause  before  an  infini- 
tive phrase  when  it  is  the  object  of  a  verb,  e.g.,  "  He  wants 
to  live  a  century  ";  " she  loves  to  talk" 

(5)   Before  Prepositional  Phrases  (conditionally). 

Pause  before  a  prepositional  phrase  when  it  introduces  an 
additional  idea. 

Little  time  remained  "1  for  such  reflections  as  might  have  arisen. 
—  Thompson. 

And  the  Sun-set  paled  and  warmed  once  more  "1 

With  a  softer,  tenderer  after-glow;  *1 
In  the  east  was  moonrise  *1  with  boats  off-shore 

And  sails  *1  in  the  distance  drifting  slow. 

Whittier. 

I  am  willing  to  go  home  *|  to  Ashland  and  renounce  public* 
service  forever.  I  should  there  find  *1  in  its  groves,  *]  under  its 
shades,  *1  on  its  lawns,  *l  mid  my  flocks  and  herds,  1  in  the  bosom 
of  my  family,  sincerity  and  truth,  attachment  and  fidelity  and 
gratitude,  which  I  have  not  always  found  *1  in  the  walks  of  public 
life.  —  Clay. 


PAUSE.  299 

Exception :  When  a  preposition  does  not  introduce  a 
new  idea,  but  is  embodied  in  the  idea,  there  should  be  no 
pause  before  it.  "  Please  give  me  a  glass  of  water." 

The  foremost  tiger  while  yet  in  mid-air,  curled  itself  up  *1  with 
a  gurgling  cry  of  utter  pain,  *1  and  with  the  blood  gushing  *|  from 
its  eyes,  ears  and  mouth,  fell  heavily  down  dying.  — Thompson. 

The  prepositions  in  and  of  in  the  italicized  words  of  the 
last  sentence  are  embodied  in  the  ideas,  while  the  preposi- 
tions with  and  from  introduce  new  ideas  and  require  Pauses 
before  them. 

2.    Between. 
(i)   Between  Words  of  a  Series. 

Whenever  a  series  of  two  or  more  words  of  the  same 
Part  of  Speech  are  used  in  the  same  sentence  there  should 
be  Pauses  between  them.  These  Pauses  do  not  merely 
mark  the  ellipsis  of  the  conjunction,  as  some  grammarians 
have  held.  In  the  following  sentence  the  conjunction  and 
takes  no  more  time  in  utterance  than  would  be  given  the 
line  with  that  word  omitted. 

Nouns.     Wholly  happy  they  only  knew 

That  the  earth  was  bright  and  the  sky  was  blue; 
That  light  *1  and  beauty  1  and  joy  *1  and  song 
Charmed  the  way  as  they  passed  along. 

Anon. 

Verbs.  We  will  be  revenged;  revenge,  1  about, *1  seek,*!  burn, 
*1  fire,*1  kill,*!  slay,  —  let  not  a  traitor  live  !  —  Shak. 

Adjectives.     Sweet  Mary,  pledged  to  Tom,  was  fair  1 
And  graceful  *1  young  *1  and  slim. 

Fanny  Foster. 

Adverbs.  He  acted  intelligently,*]  prudently  *l  and  bravely.— 
Anon. 


3OO  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

(2)   Between  Words  to  Mark  an  Ellipsis. 

This  applies  not  only  to  elliptical  words  of  the  various 
parts  of  speech,  but  also  to  phrases  which  are  omitted  and 
understood. 

As  our  will  *1  so  would  thine  own  *i  be.  —  Halm. 

I  came  here  to  speak,  you  *|  to  listen. — Anon. 

And  besides  this,  giving  all  diligence,  add  to  your  faith,  virtue; 
and  to  virtue,*!  knowledge;  and  to  knowledge,  *1  temperance;  and 
to  temperance,  *1  patience;  and  to  patience,  *|  godliness;  and  to 
godliness, *1  brotherly  kindness;  and  to  brotherly  kindness,*!  charity. 
-II,  Peter,  i:  5,  6,  7. 

(3)   Between  Clauses. 

This  is  self-evident,  as  each  clause  must  contain  a  separate 
idea. 

Thus  the  child  came  to  be  an  old  man,  *1  and  his  once  smooth 
face  was  wrinkled  *i  and  his  steps  were  slow  and  feeble,  *1  and 
his  back  was  bent.  And  he  said  "  My  age  is  falling  from  me  like 
a  garment,  1  and  I  move  towards  the  star  as  a  child."  —  Dickens. 

3.    After. 
(i)    After  Emphatic  Words  (conditionally). 

Strongly  emphatic  words  usually  require  Pauses  after 
them,  that  their  meaning  may  be  more  vividly  impressed; 
but  in  this,  as  in  all  other  Pauses,  the  length  must  be 
regulated  by  the  taste  and  judgment  of  the  speaker. 

This  Emphasis  at  times  may  even  separate  the  word  into  its 
syllables,  making  what  is  commonly  called  an  "  Intersyllabic ' ' 
Pause;  this,  however,  is  but  an  emphatic  Pause,  since  the  Em- 
phasis alone  causes  the  separation  of  syllables.  We  have  seen 
(p.  298)  that  the  influence  of  a  pausing-place  may  sometimes  over- 
step an  intervening  word;  so  it  may  also  extend  through  a  syllable 
for  the  purpose  of  articulative  enforcement  in  Emphasis. 


PAUSE.  301 

Furthermore,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Pause  for  Emphasis  cor- 
responds exactly  with  the  rhetorical  sense,  since  it  is  the  rhetori- 
cal sense  which  makes  the  Emphasis. 

None  ever  knew  a  lovelier  *|  boy  or  a  more  truthful  *1  son. — 
Anon. 

I  dare  *1  accusation,  I  defy  *1  the  honorable  gentleman;  I  defy 
1  the  government;  *|  I  defy  the  whole  phalanx;  *1  let  them  come 
forth.  —  Grattan. 

Lady  M.     What  beast  *1  was't,  then, 
That  made  you  break  *|  this  enterprise  to  me  ? 
When  you  durst  *1  do  it,  then  you  were  a  man;  *1 
And,  to  be  more  than  what  you  were,  *1  you  would 
Be  so  much  more  *1  the  man.     Nor  time  nor  place  *1 
Did  then  adhere,  and  yet  you  would  make  both:  *1 
They've  made  *1  themselves  *1,  and  that  their  fitness  *1  now 
Does  unmake  *1  you. 

Shakespeare. 

(Intersyllabic  Emphatic.) 

Brutus.     The  name  of  Cassius  honors  this  corruption, 

And  chastisement  doth  therefore  hide  his  head. 
Cassius.     Chas  *|  tisement ! 

Shakespeare. 

Exception :  Also  for  obvious  reasons  a  word  may  be 
moderately  emphatic  without  taking  a  Pause  after  it. 

This  is  a  beautiful  day. — Anon. 

The  word  beautiful  is  emphatic,  but  not   strongly  so,  and 
hence  takes  no  pause. 


(2)   After  Words  and  Phrases  Used  Independently. 

It  must  be  so, —  Plato,  *|  thou  reasonest  well !  —  Addison. 
Thy  rod  and  Thy  staff  *1  they  comfort  me.  —  Psalm  xxiii,  4. 


302  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

(3)   After  Nominative  Phrases. 

To  lead  a  successful  life  1  is  a  laudable  ambition. — Anon. 
That  crayon  picture  of  my  beloved  brother  1  is  one  of  my  most 
cherished  household  treasures. 

(4)  After  Intransitive  Verbs  (conditionally). 

When  an  Intransitive  verb  is  followed  closely  by  a  noun 
of  kindred  significance  there  should  be  a  Pause  after  it  . 

He  lived  *1  a  beautiful  life,  and  died  *1  a  noble  death.  —  Anon. 

And  Joseph  dreamed  *1  a  dream,  and  he  told  it  his  brethren ; 
and  they  hated  him  yet  the  more.  —  Gen.  vii,  5. 

4.   Before  and  After. 
(i)  Before  and  After  Emotional  Words. 

There  should  be  Pauses  before  and  after  any  word  or 
group  of  words  expressing  very  strong  emotion.  The  first 
Pause  arrests  the  attention  and  prepares  the  audience  for 
the  emotion ;  and  the  Pause  after  allows  them  time  to 
reflect  upon  it.  Though  the  length  of  the  Pause  is  optional 
with  the  speaker  the  student  is  reminded  that  these  are  the 
longest  Pauses  in  expression. 

Writers  on  Elocution  have  universally  treated  the  "  Emotional " 
Pause  separately  and  distinctly,  contrasting  it  with  the  Rhetorical 
Pause,  thus  implying  a  conflict  between  sentiment  and  sense. 
This,  it  seems  to  us,  is  altogether  out  of  harmony  with  the  purpose 
of  Elocution,  for  whenever  sentiment  loses  the  guiding  and  regula- 
ting influence  of  sense  it  becomes  mouthing  rather  than  correct 
expression. 

A  closer  study  reveals  the  fact  that  strong  emotion  over-rides 
mere  grammatical  punctuation  marks,  and  gives,  in  its  own  groups 
of  words,  the  ideas  embodied  in  the  emotion.  Even  in  the 
incoherent  sobbing  of  a  child  which  is  the  most  exaggerated 
breaking  up  of  rhetorical  language,  the  mother  never  fails  to 


PAUSE.  303 

interpret  the  ideas  expressed  in  words  and  sobs  uttered  between 
the  emotional  Pauses.  Certainly  the  idea  and  emotion  are  more 
intimately  associated,  in  the  passionate  words  of  oratoric  and 
dramatic  utterance. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  beg  leave  to  tell  the  House  what  is  really 
my  opinion.  It  is,  that  the  Stamp  Act  be  repealed,  *1  absolutely, 
*1  totally,  *1  and  immediately.  —  Chatham. 

Where  should  Othello  go  ?  *1 

Now,  *1  how  dost  thou  look  now  ?  1  O  ill-starr'd  wench  *1 
Pale  as  thy  smock  !  *|  when  we  shall  meet  at  compt, 
This  look  of  thine  will  hurl  my  soul  from  Heaven, 
And  fiends  will  snatch  at  it.  *1  Cold,  *1  cold,  *1  my  girl  1 
Even  like  thy  Chastity. 

Shakespeare. 

(2)  Before  and  After  Transposed  Words  and  Phrases. 

I  am  now  what  most  folks  *1  well-to-do  *|  would  call.  —  Carleton. 

She  listened  to  his  words  with  joy  for  *|  love  *1  they  meant  to 
her. — Anon. 

Our  sportive  wight  *1  his  usual  visit  *1  paid, 

And  the  next  night  *1  came  forth  *1  a  prattling  maid, 

Whose  tongue,  indeed,  **|  than  any  Jack  1  went  faster  ; 

Anxious,  she  strove  *1  his  errand  *1  to  inquire, 

He  said  'twas  vain  *1  her  pretty  tongue  "1  to  tire, 

He  should  not  stir  till  he  had  seen  her  master. 

Anon. 

(3)  Before  and  After  Words  or  Phrases  used  in  Apposition. 

Allow  me  to  introduce  my  friend  *i  Cassius  Carter  *1  of  Cali- 
fornia.—  Anon. 

Washington  *1  the  commander  of  the  American  forces  *i  re- 
ceived his  commission  under  this  elm  tree.  —  Anon. 


(4)  Before  and  After  Direct  Quotations. 
She  said,  1  "O,  God  protect  my  child,"  1  and  died.  —  Anon. 


304  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

The  tide  flowed  in,  and  rising  to  her  knees, 

She  sang  the  psalm,  1  "To  Thee,  I  lift  my  soul";  1 

The  tide  flowed  in,  and  rising  to  her  waist,  *1 

"  To  Thee,  my  God,  I  lift  my  soul,"  1  she  sang. 

The  tide  flowed  in,  and  rising  to  her  throat, 

She  sang  no  more. 

Anon. 

(5)   Before  and  After  Parenthetical  Expressions. 

Abou  Ben  Adhem,  *1  may  his  tribe  increase,  *1 
Awoke  one  night  from  a  deep  dream  of  peace, 
And  saw,  within  the  moonlight  in  his  room,  *1 
Making  it  rich,  and  like  a  lily  in  bloom,  *1 
An  angel,  writing  in  a  book  of  gold. 

Leigh  Hunt. 

The  slight  cessation  of  voice  known  as  "Prosodial"  Pause, 
used  at  the  end  of  lines  of  poetry,  and  to  mark  the  measure  or 
" prosody"  of  verse,  will  be  fully  treated  in  a  subsequent  section 
on  Rhythm.  It  should  not  be  used,  however,  except  in  highly 
poetic  or  metrical  language.  Also  the  treatment  of  the  "  Caesural " 
Pause,  which  is  a  metrical  break  in  the  middle  of  a  foot  in  verse, 
will  be  found  in  the  same  section. 

5.    Selections  for  Phrasing. 

We  subjoin  two  unmarked  selections  as  a  study  in  Pauses. 
The  process  of  indicating  the  Rhetorical  Pauses  in  a  selec- 
tion is  called  Phrasing.  In  phrasing  any  selection  the 
student  will  frequently  find  several  reasons  for  the  same 
Pause  ;  and,  naturally  enough,  the  markings  of  a  number 
of  students  will  vary  somewhat  according  to  the  different 
conceptions  of  the  lines. 

£> 
From  PICTURES  OF  MEMORY. 

Among  the  beautiful  pictures, 

That  hang  on  Memory's  wall, 
Is  one  of  a  dim  old  forest, 

That  seemeth  best  of  all. 
Not  for  its  gnarl'd  oaks  olden, 

Dark  with  the  mistletoe; 


PAUSE.  305 

Not  for  the  violets  golden 

That  sprinkle  the  vale  below; 
Not  for  the  milk-white  lilies 

That  lean  from  the  fragrant  ledge, 
Coquetting  all  day  with  the  sunbeams, 

And  stealing  their  golden  edge; 
Not  for  the  vines  on  the  upland 

Where  the  bright  red  berries  rest, 
Nor  the  pinks,  nor  the  pale,  sweet  cowslip, 

It  seemeth  to  me  the  best. 

I  once  had  a  little  brother 

With  eyes  that  were  dark  and  deep; 
In  the  lap  of  that  dim  old  forest, 

He  lieth  in  peace  asleep. 
Light  as  the  down  of  the  thistle, 

Free  as  the  winds  that  blow, 
We  roved  there,  the  beautiful  summers, 

The  summers  of  long  ago; 
But  his  feet  on  the  hills  grew  weary, 

And,  one  of  the  autumn  eves, 
I  made  for  my  little  brother 

A  bed  of  the  yellow  leaves. 

Sweetly  his  pale  arms  folded 

My  neck  in  a  meek  embrace, 
As  the  light  of  immortal  beauty 

Silently  cover'd  his  face; 
And  when  the  arrows  of  sunset 

Lodged  in  the  tree-tops  bright, 
He  fell,  in  h]p  saint-like  beauty, 

Asleep  by  the  gates  of  light. 

Therefore,  of  all  the  pictures 

That  hang  on  Memory's  wall, 
The  one  of  the  dim  old  forest 

Seemeth  the  best  of  all. 

Alice  Gary. 


3O6  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


From  CLAUDIUS  AKD  CYlfTHTA. 

It  was  in  the  mid-splendor  of  the  reign  of  the  Emperor 
Commodus.  Especially  desirous  of  being  accounted  the  best 
swordsman  and  the  most  fearless  gladiator  of  Rome,  he  still 
better  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being  the  incomparable  archer. 
No  one  had  ever  been  able  to  compete  with  him.  His  success 
had  rendered  him  a  monomaniac  on  the  subject  of  archery,  af- 
fecting him  so  deeply  indeed  that  he  cared  more  for  his  fame 
as  a  consummate  bowman  than  for  the  dignity  and  honor  of  his 
name  as  Emperor  of  Rome.  This  being  true,  it  can  well  be 
understood  how  Claudius,  by  publicly  boasting  that  he  was  a 
better  archer  than  Commodus,  had  brought  upon  himself  the 
calamity  of  a  public  execution. 

But  not  even  Nero  would  have  thought  of  bringing  the  girl 
to  her  death  for  the  fault  of  the  lover. 

Claudius  and  his  young  bride  had  been  arrested  together  at 
their  wedding-feast,  and  dragged  to  separate  dungeons  to  await 
the  emperor's  will.  The  rumor  was  abroad  that  a  most  startling 
scene  would  be  enacted  in  the  circus.  The  result  was  that  all 
the  seats  were  filled  with  people  eager  to  witness  some  harrowing 
scene  of  death. 

Commodus  himself,  surrounded  by  a  great  number  of  his 
favorites,  sat  on  a  richly-cushioned  throne  about  midway  one 
side  of  the  enclosure.  All  was  still,  as  if  the  multitude  were 
breathless  with  expectancy.  Presently  out  from  one  of  the  open- 
ings Claudius  and  his  young  bride  —  their  hands  bound  behind 
them  —  were  lead  forth  upon  the  arena  and  forced  to  walk  around 
the  entire  circumference  of  the  place. 

The  youth  was  tall  and  nobly  beautiful,  a  very  Hercules  in 
form,  an  Apollo  in  grace  and  charm  of  movement.  His  hair  was 
blue-black  and  crisp,  his  eyes  were  dark  and  proud.  The  girl 
was  petite  and  lovely  beyond  compare.  Her  eyes  were  gray  and 
deep  as  those  of  a  goddess;  her  hair  was  pure  gold,  falling 
to  her  feet,  and  trailing  behind  her  as  she  walked. — Maurice 
Thompson. 


MOVEMENT.  307 


SECTION   III.— MOVEMENT. 

Movement  is  the  measure  and  rate  given  to  successive 
sounds,  or  to  words  in  a  sentence. 

If  we  analyze  sounds  in  nature  we  find  that  Movement  is 
not  confined  in  its  expression  to  speech  alone.  Compare 
the  galloping  hoofs  of  the  firemen's  horses  with  the  measured 
tread  of  the  dray  horse;  the  rapid  beat  of  the  drum  in  the 
double-quick  charge  with  the  slow,  muffled  beat  in  the 
funeral  march;  the  rapid,  piercing  cries  of  the  mother-bird 
when  her  young  are  in  danger  with  her  quiet  chirp  when 
no  harm  is  near,  —  all  these  are  symbols  of  human  expression. 
Human  utterance  partakes  of  a  similar  variety  of  movement 
under  different  states  of  the  mind  and  feeling,  i.  e.,  slower 
and  more  measured  in  proportion  to  the  dignity  and  import 
of  the  subject,  more  rapid  and  irregular  in  proportion  to 
the  excitement  of  the  occasion.  It  is  through  this  element 
of  Time  that  man's  Vital  nature  is  most  strongly  expressed. 
Movement  is  treated  with  reference  to  the  symmetry  of  pulsa- 
tions of  the  voice,  and  the  speed 'with  which  sounds  are  uttered 
in  succession.  Its  divisions  are  Rhythm,  and  Rate. 


I.   RHYTHM. 

Rhythm  is  the  musical1  measure  of  speech  —  the  har- 
monious flow  of  sounds  or  words  in  succession. 

Rhythm  is  a  law  of  Nature.  It  is  a  law  of  the  pulse,  a 
law  of  breathing,  a  law  of  the  action  of  the  vocal  organs,  a 
law  of  the  step  and  swing  of  the  hand  in  walking,  a  law 
of  music,  a  law  of  the  movement  of  the  heavenly  bodies. 
Hurry  and  excitement  quicken  the  pulse,  the  breathing, 

1  By  the  term  musical  we  do  not  wish  to  convey  that  the  tones  uttered  are 
notes  of  song,  but  that  there  is  a  regularity  in  the  Rate  of  Movement  very  similar 
to  that  of  music,  though  less  marked  and  uniform. 


308  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

the  step,  and  the  utterance,  but  the  Movement  is  none  the 
less  rhythmical  because  it  varies  with  the  feelings. 

Rhythm  is  adaptable  to  men  under  all  conditions  and 
passions,  and  it  is  of  great  value  in  expression  because  of 
this  flexibility.  When  men  do  not  speak  in  a  more  or  less 
regular  Rate  of  utterance,  they  prove  not  only  unintelligible, 
but  often  incoherent;  they  will  easily  tire  themselves,  just 
as  they  would  were  they  to  vary  the  length  of  their  steps 
in  walking.1 

Rhythm  is  moreover  necessary  to  the  health  and  vigor 
of  the  voice,  as  the  organs  must  have  time  between  pulsa- 
tions to  recover  their  strength  for  subsequent  strokes.  This 
regularity  of  Movement  produces  measures  of  more  or  less 
uniform  length. 

"A  measure  as  applied  to  speech,"  says  Dr.  Barber, 
"  consists  of  a  heavy  or  accented  portion  of  syllabic  sound, 
and  of  a  light  or  unaccented  portion,  produced  by  one  effort 
of  the  organ  of  voice"  These  heavy  and  light  strokes 
are  called  respectively  the  Pulsative  and  Remiss  action  of 
voice. 

The  process  of  dividing  speech  into  measures  is  called 
scoring.  The  characters  used  in  scoring  are: 

1.  Bars  (|  | )  used  to  bound  measures. 

2.  The  Triangle  (A)  used  to  indicate  the  Pulsative  action 
of  the  voice. 

3.  The  Dotted  Triangle  (.•.)  used  to  indicate  the  Remiss 
action  of  the  voice. 

4.  The  Rest  (*i)  used  to  indicate  Pause. 

5.  The  Circle  (©)  used  to  indicate  the  absence  of  a  Pul- 
sative or  Remiss,  which  is  not  accounted  for  in  Rhetorical 
Pause. 

1  The  late  Dr.  Thelwell,  Lecturer  on  Public  Reading  and  Speaking  in  King's 
College,  London,  attributes  stammering  and  stuttering  to  the  violation  of  this 
law  of  alternate  action  and  reaction  of  the  voice. 


MOVEMENT.  3OQ 

The  Pulsative  Action  is  the  heavy  part  of  the  measure. 
It  is  confined  to  one  syllable,  and  always  comes  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  measure,  thus: 

Man  is  I  mortal.  I 
A  I    A  | 

The  Remiss  Action  is  the  light  portion  of  the  measure. 
Just  as  in  music  the  light  beat  or  beats  follow  the  heavy 
one,  so  in  speech  the  Remiss  follows  the  Pulsative  and 
occupies  the  last  part  of  the  measure.  It  is  on  this  part 
that  the  voice  reacts  or  rebounds  as  a  ball  rebounds  when 
thrown  to  the  floor.  The  Remiss  may  consist  of  from  one 
to  five  syllables,  and  always  takes  place  on  unaccented  and 
unemphatic  syllables,  as  in  the  following  sentence: 

1*1  And  the  I  work  was     done  ar  tistically.  I 
A     .*•         .'.     I      A  A        .'.  A-*.  /.  .'.    I 

No  measure  can  contain  two  Pulsatives,  i.e.,  two  heavy 
syllables  cannot  be  uttered  without  a  light  one  or  a  rest 
between  them,  in  order  that  the  voice  may  recover  itself; 
just  as  it  is  impossible  to  strike  two  blows  with  a  hammer 
without  recovering  between  them.  In  the  following  sentence, 
for  example,  there  are  four  Pulsatives  occurring  together;  it 
is  impossible  to  make  them  expressive  without  rests  between 
them,  thus: 

1  Out,  *1  I  out,  *1  |  brief  *1  I  candle  ! 
I    A     .'•  I    A     •'•  I     A     •'.  |    A    .'• 

If  light  syllables  be  placed  between  the  heavy  ones,  then 
the  voice  would  have  opportunity  to  recover  itself  each  time 
before  the  next  stroke,  e.g. : 

I  Out  and  I  out  *1  I  *1  a  I  man  *1  I  *|  he  I  was.  *l  I 

I     A       /.      I    A    /.  I  A-'.  I     A     •'.  I  A    /.    I      A      /.  I 

To  illustrate  more  fully  let  the  student  in  speaking  the 
above  sentence  strike  forward  with  the  fist  on  the  words 


3IO  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

out,  out,  man,  and  was,  recovering  on  the  words  and,  a,  and 
he,  taking  note  at  the  same  time  of  the  Rhetorical  Pauses, 
and  he  will  readily  understand  the  necessity  of  light  and 
heavy  strokes  in  utterance.  Try  the  stamping  of  the  foot 
in  the  same  way  and  we  have  the  Arsis  and  Thesis  of  the 
Greeks,  the  "lifting  up"  and  the  "putting  down"  of  the 
foot. 

The  voice  should  pass  trippingly  over  the  light  words 
of  a  clause  as  it  does  over  the  light  syllables  of  a  word. 
Laborious  efforts  to  be  emphatic,  result  in  too  many  Pulsa- 
tives  and  consequently  too  many  measures.  Pulsatives 
occur  on  most  accented  syllables  and  on  all  emphatic  mono- 
syllables. Some  accented  syllables  are  not  strong  enough 
for  Pulsatives,  as  for  example, 

I  *1  He  I  came  into  the  I  house.  "1  I 

I  A    .'.    I     A      .'.  .*.     .'.    I      A       .'.  I 

On  the  other  hand,  some  secondary  accents  are  strong 
enough  to  take  the  Pulsative,  as, 

I  *1  They  I  made  a  I  slight  ©  I  modification.  I 
I  A  A     .*.  I      A      .•.|   A-'.  .*.|A   •*•     I 

Single  Indefinite  syllables  as  arm,  roar,  thou,  and  some 
long  Mutables  as  fire,  glare,  boom,  in  which  the  last  sound 
is  a  liquid  Continuant,  may  occupy  full  measures,  as, 


Thou    ©  and 


I  *1 1  *1  must  |  arm 
A  .*.    A      •'.     I  A  .'. 


fire  I  *1  and  away. 


A-'.   |  A 


A-'. 


In  the  above  sentence  the  remission  takes  place  on  the 
vanish  of  each  of  the  vowels  ou  of  thou,  I,  and  a  in  the 
accented  syllable  of  away,  and  on  the  sounds  of  m  in  arm, 
and  r  vs\fire.  There  should  not,  however,  be  a  new  measure 
for  an  Indefinite  syllable  when  one  or  more  Remiss  syllables, 
clearly  of  the  same  measure,  immediately  follow  it. 

The  six  typical  measures  of  speech  may  be  represented 
as  follows: 


MOVEMENT. 


TYPICAL  MEASURES 


Roar  I 
A  .'•    I 

2.  I  Roar-ing  I 

A       .'.    I 

3.  |  Beau-ti-ful  I 

A     •'.   •'.    I 
Beau-ti-ful-ly  I 
A    .'.   /.   .'.  I 
Ob-li-ga-tor-y 
A  •'.  /.    .'.  .'. 
Spir-it-u-al-ly  in  clined 


The  measures  most  common  are  the  second  and  third.  We 
seldom  find  more  than  four  syllables  in  a. measure.  Measures 
of  which  these  are  types,  wherever  they  occur,  may  be  pro- 
nounced with  relatively  equal  time,  although  this  is  not 
necessary  in  order  that  there  be  Rhythm.  We  shall  treat 
Rhythm  first  as  applied  to  poetry,  second  to  prose. 


i.   Poetic  Rhythm. 

Poetic  Rhythm  is  the  most  distinct  form  of  measured 
utterance.  This  comes  of  the  regularity  of  light  and  heavy 
syllables  in  the  poetic  feet.  In  order  that  the  student  may 
best  understand  poetic  Rhythm,  we  here  introduce  a  brief 
presentation  of  the  ordinary  feet  used  in  the  Scansion  of 
English  verse.1  The  character  of  a  poetic  foot  depends 
(i)  upon  the  number  of  its  syllables,  and  (2)  upon  the  position 
of  the  accent.  A  foot  may  contain  either  two  or  three 
syllables. 

The  following  table  will  serve  to  show  the  position  of  the 
accent  and  the  number  of  syllables  employed  in  the  various 
feet: 

i  For  fuller  study  and  illustration  of  scansion  and  metre  the  student  is 
referred  to  the  chapter  on  versification  in  Hart's  Rhetoric.  Eldredge  &  Bro., 
Pub.,  Phila. 


312 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION, 
(i)   Dissyllabic  and  Trissyllabic  Feet. 


DISSYLLABIC 
FEET. 


TRISYLLABIC 
FEET. 


POETICAL 
FEET. 

ACCENTED 
SYLLABLES. 

PROSORDIAL 
MARKINGS. 

ILLUSTRATIVE 
WORDS. 

Trochee 

First 

w 

/ 
ransom 

Iambus 

Second 

w      

/ 

remorse 

Spondee 

Both 

/      / 

mankind 

Dactyl 

First 

w  w 

/ 
beautiful 

Amphibrach 

Second 

w  w 

regretful 

Anapest 

Third 

w  w  

/ 

evermore 

These  may  be  further  explained  and  illustrated  as  follows : 

a.  The  Trochee  consists  of  a  heavy  followed  by  a  light 
syllable  in  each  foot ;  as, 

w    I    y  I       \J   I     —     w 

Tell  me    not,  in    mournful    numbers, 


Life  is  I  but  an  j  empty  |  dream  ! 


For  the  |  soul  is  |  dead  that  |  slumbers, 

_  W  I     _         W       I        _  W        I        - 

And  things  |  are  not  |  what  they  j  seem." 

Longfellow. 

b.  The  Iambus,   the  most  common  form  of  metre,  has 
a  light  followed  by  a  heavy  syllable  ;  as, 


A  Roek  I  there  is  |  whose  homejly  front 

W          -   I     W  -     I     W  ^  - 

The  pasjsing  travleller  slights  ; 


MOVEMENT. 


313 


Yet  there  |  the  glow|-worms  hang  |  their  lamps, 


Like  stars 


at  var| 




ious  heights  ; 


And  one  |  coy  Prim  rose  to  |  that  Rock 

Wordsworth. 


\j      —  i  \j        —      I  y  — 
The  ver  nal  breeze    invites. 


c.  The  Spondee,  consists  of  two  heavy  syllables  in  the 
same  foot,  as  found  in  the  following  line  from  Shakespeare  . 


Farewell  |  a  long  |  farewell    to  all  my  greatness. 

Henry  VIII,  Act  III,  Scene  2. 


d.  The  Dactyl,    has   one  long   and  two  short  syllables 
in  each  foot ;  as, 

\^    \j      \j  \j 

Take  her  up    tenderly 


Lift  her  with 


care 


Fashioned  so  |  slenderly 


Young  and  so 


fair. 


Hood. 


e.  The    Amphibrach,  is  composed  of  one  long  syllable 
between  two  short  ones  ;  as, 


The  bride  ktes'd 

the  goblet 

5 

the  knight  took 

it  up; 

He  quaff'd  off 

the  wine,  and 

he  threw  down 

the  cup 

He  took  her 

V—  /                               \J 

soft  hand  ere 

\j             \j 
kher  mother 

could  bar  ;  — 

Now  tread  we    a  measure  !  " 


W       I  \J   


said  young  Lochinvar. 


Scott. 


314 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


f.  The  Anapest,    consists   of   two   short   or  unaccented 
syllables  followed  by  one  long  or  accented  syllable  ;  as, 


w     w          


Now  it  catch  es  the  gleam  |  of  the  morn|ing's  first  beam, 

| 


In  full  glo|ry  reflectjed,  now  shines 


on  the  stream. 


'T  is  the  star  -spangled  ban  ner !     Oh  long  |  may  it  wave 


O'er  the  land 


of  the  free    and  the  home 




of  the  brave. 


With  reference  to  the  general  significance  of  these  differ- 
ent kinds  of  verse  in  the  province  of  expression,  Prof.  Wm. 
B.  Chamberlain  in  his  excellent  work  on  the  "Rhetoric  of 
Vocal  Expression  "  has  very  ingeniously  provided  the  follow- 
ing series  of  "mnemonic  epithets"  by  means  of  which  the 
student  may  remember  these  relations  : 


Trochaic  (_  w)  springy,  cheery,  prompt. 

/         /  / 

Iambic  (w  _  )  more  grave,  insistent  firm. 

/  / 

Dactylic  (_  w  w)  sprightly  and  musical. 

Amphibrachic  (w  _  w)  with  stronger  uplifting. 

/  / 

Anapestic  (w  w  _  )  with  a  full  buoyant  sweep. 

/  /        / 

Spondaic  (  __  )  full  sound  even. 


POETIC      i 
RHYTHM.  * 


He  says  that,  "the  effects  here  indicated  are  the  usual 
and  normal  ones.  They  are  subject  to  many  modifications. 
The  thought  contained  in  the  poetry  is  often  modified  or 
supplemented,  rather  than  emphasized  or  directly  expressed, 
by  the  movement  of  verse." 

We  might  speak  of  verses  in  which  there  are  mixed  feet,  and 
some  that  have  not  their  full  number  of  syllables,  and  others,  in 
which  there  are  more  than  the  full  compliment,  but  the  student 
is  referred  as  before  to  the  rhetoricians  who  have  discoursed  at 
length  on  this  subject. 


MOVEMENT.  3  I  5 

In  Poetic  Reading  one  should  avoid  two  extremes  : 
first  the  sing-song  or  "  turn  te  turn  te  "  style,  which  makes 
prominent  the  metric  feature  of  verse  ;  and  second,  the  ten- 
dency to  make  poetry  prosaic.  The  one  may  be  avoided  by 
paying  less  attention  to  measure  and  more  to  the  grouping ; 
the  other  by  delicately  marking  the  metre  so  as  not  to  in- 
terfere with  the  sense.  Let  it  be  remembered  that  the 
nearer  one  approaches  the  colloquial  in  poetry  the  less 
apparent  is  the  metre. 

In  scanning  poetry  a  pause  frequently  occurs  in  the 
midst  of  a  foot ;  this  is  called  the  Caesural  Pause.  It 
affects  scanning  and  not  Rhythm.  Example  : 

Of  man's  |  first  dis|obed|ience,  1  and  |  the  fruit 
Of  that  |  forbid|den  tree  |  whose  mor|tal  taste 
Brought  death  |  into  |  the  world  |  and  all  |  our  woe 
With  loss  |  of  E|den,1  till  |  one  great|er  man 
Restore  |  us  *1  and  |  regain  |  the  bliss|ful  seat, 
Sing,  *1  heavenjly  muse. 

Milton. 

There  are  instances  in  which  the  metre  and  the 
Emphasis  so  uniformly  coincide  that  the  measure  becomes 
a  prominent  feature  of  the  reading.  This  is  especially  the 
case  when  the  lines  indicate  a  measured  motion.  The  read- 
ing of  such  passages  must  echo  to  the  sense.  This  is  ac- 
complished by  slightly  lingering  on  the  accented  syllables. 
It  is  sometimes  called  the  Prosodial  Pause,  but  is  not  of 
sufficient  length  to  be  marked  as  a  Pause.  Metrical  read- 
ing is  often  used  in  lyric  poetry  where  the  metre  is  an 
element  of  special  beauty.  Examples  : 

But  merjrily  still,  |  with  laugh  |  and  shout,  | 

From  H  amp  |  ton  Riv|er  the  boat  |  sail'd  out, 

Till  the  huts  |  and  the  flakes  |  on  the  Star  |  seem'd  nigh, 

And  they  lost  |  the  scent  |  of  the  pines  |  of  Rye. 

Whittier. 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

I   sprang  |  to  the  sadjdle,  and  Jorjis  and  he, 

I  galjloped,   Dirck  gal|loped,  we  galjloped  all  three. 

How  they  tinkjle,  tink|le,  tinkjle, 

In  the  i|cy  air  |  of  night ! 
While  the  stars,  |  that  oversprink|le 
All  the  heavens,  |  seem  to  twink|le 

With  a  crysjtalline  de|light; 

PO€. 

And  her  step  |  was  light  |  and  air|y 
As  the  tripjping  of  a  fair|y. 

Waller. 

When  there  is  no  occasion  for  a  Rhetorical  Pause  at  the 
end  of  a  line  of  poetry,  there  should  be  a  slight  attenuation 
of  the  last  syllable  to  mark  the  full  metre  without  any  ces- 
sation or  break  in  the  utterance.  Example  : 

And  there  in  ampler  breadth  expand 
The  splendors  of  the  four-in-hand. 

No  horse  so  sturdy  but  he  fears 
The  handicap  of  twenty  years. 

V 

But,  like  the  sable  steed  that  bore 
The  spectral  lover  of  Lenore, 


His  nostrils  snorting  foam  and  fire, 
No  stretch  his  bony  limbs  can  tire. 


Holmes. 


Rhythm  is  not  scansion,  but  a  proper  grouping  of  the  sense, 
and  such  a  gentle  and  graceful  marking  of  the  metre  as  will 
leave  a  pleasant  impression  upon  the  ear. 

(2)   Scansion  and  Poetic  Rhythm  Compared. 

Scausion  marks  the  metre  regardless  of  sense.  Poetic 
Rhythm  regards  both  metre  and  sense  by  proper  measure 


MOVEMENT. 


317 


and  grouping ;  hence  cultivated  taste  will  not  offend  the 
ear  by  obtruding  the  structure  of  the  verse.  The  following 
passages  are  designed  to  make  this  distinction  clear  to 
the  student :  — 


Scansion. 

w 


The  mel|anchol|y  days 


have  come 


w       —       w  


the  saddest  of    the  year. 


Rhythm. 

I  *l  The  I  melancholy  I  days  *i  I  *1  have  I  come 

I  A     /.     1    A    .'.    •'.    .*•  I     A     •*.  I  A      .'•      I      A 
of  the  I  year. 
.%      .'.    |      A 


*1  the  I  saddest 
A    /.     I      A     •'. 


Scansion. 


Whatever 


I  do  and 


whatever  |  I  say, 




Aunt  Tabitha  tells  me 


that  isn't 


the  way  ; 


When  she  was  |  a  girl,  (for|ty  Summers  |  ago,) 


Aunt  Tabi  tha  tells  me 


they  never  |  did  so. 


Rhythm. 


*1  What  ever  I 


Aunt 


do 


and  whatlever  I 


Tabitha  I  tells  me 
A  .'•  •*.    I     A 


|A.'. 

that 

A 


say,  1 

A      /. 

isn't  the 

A  .'.     •'. 


Holmes. 


way; 
A-'- 


*1  When  I  she  was  a  I  girl,  I  *1  *|    (forty  I  Summers  a  go,)  *1 
A       .'.        I    A        .'.       •*.  I  A .'.    I  A  .'.         A  .'.  I      A       /.       .'.   A      .'. 


Aunt 


Tabitha 
A  /.  .'. 


tells  me  I  *| 


they 
A 


never 


did  so. 


2.    Prose  Rhythm. 

Prose  Rhythm  is  less  uniform  than  Poetic  Rhythm.  All 
prose  contains  ever  varying  but  positive  measures.  The 
irregularity  in  the  number  of  syllables  in  a  measure  does 
not,  as  might  be  supposed,  affect  the  Rhythm.  The  measures 
are  pronounced  with  nearly  the  same  time,  depending,  as 
will  be  shown,  upon  the  Rate  the  passion  requires,  and  hence 
the  even  flow  is  not  disturbed.  A  varied,  colloquial  style  of 


PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 


utterance  is  the  least  rhythmical.  Dignified  and  impressive 
oratory,  grandeur  and  solemnity  abound  in  a  succession  of 
more  or  less  even  measures  while  imaginative  and  poetic  prose 
is  replete  with  regular  measures.  One's  interpretation  of  an 
author's  meaning  must  determine  his  use  of  Rhythm,  and 
Scoring  is  a  means  of  recording  that  interpretation. 

In  the  following  exercises  in  Rhythm  the  student  should 
learn  the  one  important  lesson  of  passing  easily  and  lightly 
over  unaccented  syllables,  for  by  so  doing  he  will  soon  acquire 
the  art  of  expressing  thoughts  and  not  words  only.  In  these 
exercises  due  space  must  be  given  to  Pause.  Some  writers 
on  the  subject  have  not  taken  full  account  of  Rhetorical 
Pauses;  there  is  no  conflict  between  Phrasing  and  Scoring. 
Pauses  or  rests  are  as  essential  to  Rhythm  as  is  sound,  and 
they  should  be  considered  and  marked  first. 

• 
3.    Scored  Illustrations. 

The  exercises  below  are  designed  to  correct  the  faults  we 
have  referred  to,  and  give  one  command  of  an  easy  Rhythm. 


From  MAGDALEWA  OR  THE  SPAOTSH  DUEL. 


*1  for  ever 


*1  The  I  river 

A     /.     I  A  /. 

*1  The  I  rose  I  "I  on  its 

A     •'•     I  A  .".  I  A   /.     •'• 

*1  And  the  I  flower  I  1  as  it 

A     .'.       •'•     I     A  /.     I  A  /.   .'. 
"1  Till  the  I  rising  I  wave 

I    A  .'.    I      A 


glides  *1  I  singing  allong, 
A      •'•  I     A   •*•      .'-I  A  •'• 
bank  *1  I  bends  ©  I  down  I  *1  to  its 
A     •'•  I       A      •'•  I   A  •'.    I  A  •'•    •'. 


song; 
A  •'• 


A    .*. 

*1  But  I  why 

A    .'.    I     A 

1  And 

A 


listens 
A    •*• 
glistens 
A    .'. 


Vnd  I  why  the 

A 
who  ©  I  km 


the 


rose 
A 

knows  ? 
A 


wave 
A 


*1  un  I  consciously     dips,  *1 
A   .".  I    A     .'.      .'.  A     ••• 

"1  and  I  kisses  its  I  lips.  1 

A  /.  I  A  .'.  .'.  I  A  •'. 
rises  and  I  kisses  the  I  rose 
A  •'.  .*•  I  A  .*•  .'•  I  A  .'. 


stoops 
A 


*1  for  those 
A  •'. 


kisses 

A  /. 


And 


alway  *1 
*.|  A  •'. 
knows  ?  I 
A  .'. 


flows 
A 


the 


river 
A    .'. 


but 


whither 
A 


1  *1 
A  .'. 


who  © 
A     - 


/.  F.  Waller. 


MOVEMENT. 


319 


From  SUPPOSED  SPEECH  OF  JOHN  ADAMS. 


1  If  we  post -pone  indel-pendence,  I  *1  do  we 


I  A 
on, 

A-'- 


*1  or  give 
A  /. 


A      • 
up  "1 


mean  to 


subl-mit  ' 

.'.  I    A    /.   I  A 
I  Port  ©  I  Bill 

I     A     •'.  I  A  •*. 


to  the 


|    A        -        I  A    •'.      .'.  A 

*1  the  I  war  1  ?  I  *|  Do  we 
A    •'•      I      A    •'•       I  A    •*• 
measures  of  I  Parliament,  I  1  * 


*1  and 
A     •'• 


A 
all? 


carry 
•  I    A  .'• 
mean  to 
A 

Boston 
A    - 


*1  and   conlsent  1 

A    A         •'.  I    A     /. 


that 


*1  1 
A  .'• 

we 
A-'- 


I  A  .'.  .'.  I  A  •' 
*1  Do  we  I  mean  to  sub  mit  *1 
A  .'•  •'.  I  A  .*•  V  A  .'• 
*1  our-l  selves  *1  I  *1  shall  be 
A  /.  I  A  •'.  I  A  •*. 


I  ground 


to  I  powder    *1  and  our  I  country  I  *|  and  its    rights  1  I  trod- 


A        /.  I    A     .'.      A 
den  I  down  in  the  I  dust  ?  *1 
/.     I      A       •'.     .'•     I      A      /. 


I 


A 
know 
A    .'• 


A      .'.  I     A 
*1  we  do  I  not    *1 
A    .'.      •'.    I     A      .'• 


mean   to  sublmit.  1 


We  I  never 


shall  sublmit. 


Webster. 


In  the  following  exercises  the  student  may  dispense  with 
the  characters  used  to  represent  the  Pulsative  and  Remiss, 
as  he  is  now  familiar  with  their  position  in  the  measure. 

From  THE  LAST  LEAF. 

|  *1  I  |  saw  him  |  *1  *1  |  once  be|fore 
|  *i  As  he  |  passed  by  the  |  door ; 

|  *1  And  a|gain  *l 

J  1  The  |  pavement  J  -stones  rejsound  *1 
|  1  As  he  |  totters  o'er  the  |  ground  1 

|  *1  With  his  |  cane. 

|  *1  They  |  say  *1  |  *1  that  in  his  |  prime  |  *1  1 
|  Ere  the  |  pruning-  |  knife  of  |  time 

|  Cut  him  |  down,  |  1  *1 
|  Not  a  |  better  |  man  was  |  found  "1 
|  -|  By  the  |  crier  |  *i  on  his  |  round  *1 
|  1  Through  the  |  town.  | 

Holmes. 


From  FRAUDULENT  PARTY  OUTCRIES. 

|  Sir,  *i  |  *1  I  |  see,  *1  |  *1  in  |  those  ©  |  vehicles  |  *1  which  |  carry 
to  the  |  people  |  *1  *1  |  sentiments  from  |  high  ©  |  places,  |  plain  © 


32O  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

|  declarations  |  *1  that  the  |  present  |  controversy  |  *1  is  but  a 
|  strife  *1  |  *1  between  |  one  ©  |  part  of  the  com]munity  |  *1  and 
an|other.  |  *1  I  |  hear  it  |  boasted  |  *1  as  the  un|failing  sejcurity, 
|  *1  the  |  solid  |  ground,  *1  |  never  to  be  |  shaken,  |  *|  on  |  which 
*1  j  recent  |  measures  |  rest,  *1  |  *1  that  the  |  poor  *1  |  naturally 
|  hate  the  \  rich.  1  |  1  I  |  know  |  1  that,  |  under  the  |  cover  of 
the  |  roofs  of  the  |  Capitol,  |  *1  within  the  |  last  ©  |  twenty-|four 
|  hours,  *|  ]  *1  a]mong  ©  |  men  *]  |  sent  here  |  *1  to  dejvise  0  |  means 
for  the  |  public  |  safety  |  "1  and  the  |  public  |  good,  *1  |  *1  it  has 
been  |  vaunted  |  forth,  *l  |  *1  as  |  matter  of  |  boast  and  |  triumph, 
|  *1  that  |  one  ©  |  cause  exjisted  |  *1  *1  |  powerful  e|nough  to  sup- 
jport  ©  |  every  thing,  |  *1  and  to  defend  *i  |  every  thing ;  |  *l  and 
|  that  *1  |  was,  "1  |  1  the  \  natural  \  hatred  of  the  \  poor  1  |  *1  to 
the  |  rich.  "1  |  —  Webster. 

4.    Selections  for  Scoring. 

We  append  the  following  passages  for  scoring;  the  student 
will  find  it  expeditious  first  to  go  through  a  paragraph  or 
stanza,  placing  a  bar  before  each  Pulsative  syllable,  and 
then  returning,  to  mark  the  Pauses,  adding  new  measures 
if  they  are  required.  In  the  second  selection  only  the 
Rhetorical  Pauses  need  be  marked,  but  the  correct  Pulsa- 
tive and  Remiss  action  of  voice  must  be  observed  in  its 
rendition. 


From  THE  TELLTALE. 

Under    garlands    of    drooping    vines, 
Through    dim    vistas    of    sweet-breathed    pines, 
Past    wide    meadow-fields    lately    mow'd, 
Wander'd    the    indolent    country    road. 
The    lovers    follow'd    it,    listening    still, 
And,    loitering    slowly,    as    lovers    will, 

Enter'd    a    low-roof'd    bridge,    that    lay, 
Dusky    and    cool,    in    their    pleasant    way. 
Under    its    arch    a    smooth,    bright    stream 
Silently    glided,    with    glint    and    gleam, 


MOVEMENT.  321 

Shaded    by    graceful    elms    that    spread 
Their    verdurous    canopy    overhead,  — • 
The    stream    so    narrow,    the    boughs    so    wide, 
They    met    and    mingled    across    the    tide. 

Anon. 


From  WISDOM  DEARLY  PURCHASED. 

I  was  an  Irishman  in  the  Irish  business,  just  as  much  as  I  was 
an  American,  when,  on  the  same  principles,  I  wished  you  to  con- 
cede to  America  at  a  time  when  she  prayed  concession  at  our  feet. 
Just  as  much  was  I  an  American,  when  I  wished  Parliament  to 
offer  terms  in  victory,  and  not  to  wait  the  ill-chosen  hour  of 
defeat,  for  making  good  by  weakness  and  by  supplication  a  claim 
of  prerogative,  preeminence,  and  authority. 

Instead  of  requiring  it  from  me,  as  a  point  of  duty,  to  kindle 
with  your  passions,  had  you  all  been  as  cool  as  I  was,  you  would 
have  been  saved  disgraces  and  distresses  that  are  unutterable. 
Do  you  remember  our  commission  ?  We  sent  out  a  solemn 
embassy  across  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  to  lay  the  crown,  the  peerage, 
the  commons  of  Great  Britain  at  the  feet  of  the  American  Con- 
gress. —  Burke. 

II.    RATE. 

Rate  is  the  rapidity  with  which  sounds  or  words  are 
uttered  in  succession.  It  is  the  speed  of  utterance,  —  the 
application  of  Quantity  and  Pause  to  a  collection  of  words. 
Much  of  the  vigor  and  exquisite  shading  of  expression 
depends  upon  the  right  management  of  this  element.  Every 
sentiment  or  passion  has  its  appropriate  Rate  of  utterance- 
The  dirge  and  the  funeral  train  move  with  a  slow  and 
solemn  tread  ;  the  inspiring  martial  air  and  the  charge  of 
cavalry  quicken  into  rapid  pace.  The  sudden  and  terrible 
destruction  of  the  hurricane  or  the  earthquake  are  manifes- 
tations of  Nature's  forces  in  rapid  action,  and  can  only  be 
pictured  to  the  mind  by  a  rapidity  of  utterance  in  keeping 
with  the  awful  terror  of  such  scenes. 


322 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


If  it  be  true,  then,  that  in  Nature  the  rapidity  of  sounds 
in  succession  is  an  index  to  the  sentiments  that  prompt 
them,  it  must  follow  that,  in  order  to  be  natural  in  expres- 
sion, the  changes  of  thought  and  feeling  must  be  given  in 
varied  Rates  of  Movement. 

Rate  of  Movement  may  be  divided  into  the  Moderate, 
the  Slow,  the  Very  Slow,  the  Rapid,  and  the  Very  Rapid. 

i .    Scale  of  Comparative  Rates. 

The  following  diagram  is  designed  to  indicate  relatively, 
the  proportionate  number  of  syllables  that  occur  in  a  given 
time  in  the  several  Rates  ;  fifteen  in  the  Very  Rapid  during 
the  time  of  twelve  in  the  Rapid,  nine  in  the  Moderate,  six  in 
the  slow,  and  three  in  the  Very  Slow : 


RATE 


VERY   RAPID 

Ib 

RAPID 

12 

MODERATE 

9 

SLOW 

6 

•          •          •          •          •          • 

VERY  SLOW 

3 

•                           •                            • 

We  may  get  an  excellent  idea  of  comparative  Rates  of 
Movement  by  uttering  each  of  the  following  sentences  in 
the  time  of  about  two  seconds  ;  or  what  is  better,  let  five 
persons  each  take  one  of  the  sentences  and  recite  them 
together  in  exactly  the  same  time. 

Very  Rapid.     Through  his  ear  the  summons  stung, 
As  if  a  battle-trump  had  rung. 

Holmes. 

Rapid.     A  spring  to  the  saddle,  a  spurt  with  the  pedal.  — Anon. 

Moderate.  She  was  conquered  by  her  own  factions  — Judge 
Story. 


MOVEMENT.  323 

Slow.     God's  blessing  on  the  day.  —  Tennyson. 
Very  Slow.     "  Fare-thee-well." 

The  Scale  of  Movement,  like  all  other  scales  in  Elocu- 
tion, is  not  absolute,  but  relative,  and  adjustable  to  individu- 
ality and  environment.  It  is  natural  for  one  person  to 
speak  faster  than  another.  Webster's  style  was  slow  and 
ponderous,  that  of  Phillips  was  moderate  and  conversational, 
while  that  of  Phillips  Brooks  was  a  notable  example  of  the 
Very  Rapid  style  of  oratory.  Each  of  these  persons  had  a 
scale  of  Movement  peculiar  to  himself.  They  expressed 
patriotism,  joy,  or  sorrow  in  different  relative  Rates,  yet 
they  were  all  true  to  nature. 

Furthermore,  the  Rate  of  Movement,  like  the  Scale  of 
Degrees  of  Force,  must  be  adapted  to  the  size  and  shape 
of  the  auditorium  and  to  the  size  of  the  audience.  (See 
page  150.)  The  larger  the  room  or  the  greater  the  acoustic 
difficulties  the  slower  must  be  the  proportionate  Rate  of 
Movement  for  all  sentiments. 

2.    Scale  of  Limitations. 

In  the  application  of  Rate  to  the  various  sentiments  and 
emotions  for  any  given  auditorium  the  rapidity  of  Movement 
depends  altogether  upon  the  character  of  the  thought.  Rate 
must  be  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  action  described  or 
depicted,  and  must  accommodate  itself  to  every  mood  of 
man;  if  very  brisk,  the  emotion  is  lively,  joyous  or  impetuous; 
if  the  action  be  slow,  the  thought  is  more  serious,  important, 
or  gloomy.  And,  too,  any  given  sentiment  may  extend 
through  a  number  of  degrees  of  Rate  affording  ample  range 
for  variety  in  expression. 

The  following  brief  diagram  is  more  comprehensive  than 
a  mere  statement  of  the  styles  appropriate  to  each  degree 
of  Rate. 


324 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 
EFFUSIVE  EXPULSIVE 


EXPLOSIVE 


Ld 


----f 

o 


T 


!_-* 


S     0 


1 


The  above  scale  shows  the  approximate  limitations  of  the 
Forms  and  Qualities  in  Rate  of  Movement.  The  student 
having  mastered  the  study  of  the  limitations  of  Force  and 
Pitch,  in  their  combinations  with  Form  and  Quality,  will  at 
once  note  the  similarity  between  them  and  the  subject  now 
under  treatment.  The  same  tests  which  have  proved  the 
truth  of  those  diagrams  have  led  to  the  conclusion  that 
speech-notes  cannot  be  given  in  correct  expression  outside 
6f  the  limitations  set  forth  in  this  diagram. 

Let  us  consider  a  few  of  these  limitations. 

The  Effusive  Normal,  it  will  be  remembered,  is  appro- 
priate in  the  utterance  of  solemnity,  tranquillity,  and  pathos. 
These  sentiments  find  their  range  in  Slow  and  Moderate 
Rates  of  Movement,  oftentimes  running  into  the  Very  Slow 
and  the  Rapid.  This  not  only  shows  the  limitation,  but 
the  range  of  these  sentiments  in  Movement,  affording  ample 
room  for  individuality  and  variety  in  expression.  Further- 
more it  enables  us  to  be  guided  by  a  general  law  rather  than 
led  by  a  dogmatic  statement.  For  instance,  the  text-books 
on  this  subject,  almost  without  exception,  have  stated  that 
pathos  should  be  given  in  Slow  Movement.  Yet  many 


MOVEMENT.  32$ 

passages  of  the  most  distinct  pathos,  such  as  the  words 
of  Shakespeare's  "  Romeo  and  Juliet "  or  Poe's  "  Annabel 
Lee  "  are  correctly  given  in  the  Rapid  Movement.  Our  scale 
accounts  for  this. 

Effusive  Orotund  extends  through  Moderate,  Slow,  and 
Very  Slow.  The  volume  of  the  Orotund,  limited  by  the 
gentle  flow  of  the  Effusive,  would  not  allow  it  to  range  in 
the  Rapid  or  Very  Rapid.  This  is  shown  in  Nature  by 
the  illustrations  of  reverence,  sublimity,  and  devotion  already 
given  (p.  126). 

Effusive  Oral  is  given  in  Slow  and  Very  Slow  Movement. 
The  condition  of  sickness  m  feebleness  expressed  by  this  com- 
bination would  not  allow  the  more  Rapid  degree  of  Move- 
ment. When  Oral  is  given,  even  in  Moderate  Rates,  it 
takes  the  Expulsive  Form  as  shown  in  the  diagram. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  further  explain  these  limitations,  as  the 
student  has  learned  the  plan  in  the  treatment  of  previous  scales. 
It  will  be  interesting  in  this  connection,  however,  for  the  student 
to  compare  Rates  of  Movement  with  the  corresponding  Degrees 
of  Pitch. 

3.    Relation  to  Pause. 

The  Pauses  occurring  in  the  several  Rates  generally  cor- 
respond in  length  to  the  rapidity  of  the  Movement.  The 
Very  Rapid  Rate  requires  the  shortest  Pauses,  the  Very 
Slow  the  longest,  —  the  other  Rates  having  Pauses  of  pro- 
portionate length. 

4.    General  Suggestions. 

The  indisposition  on  the  part  of  some  speakers  to  vary 
the  Rate  sufficiently  is  one  of  the  most  common  faults  of 
utterance.  The  uniformly  Moderate  or  Slow  Rate,  and  the 
no  less  serious  habit  of  too  great  rapidity  which  prevents 
distinctness  are  faults  that  cannot  be  too  carefully  guarded 
against.  A  uniform  Rate  of  any  degree  is  one  form  of 


326  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

monotony  and  should  therefore  be  avoided.  Bear  in  mind 
that  the  Rate  becomes  slower  in  proportion  to  the  gravity 
or  importance  of  the  matter.  Abstruse  passages  require 
slower  Rate  in  order  that  that  they  may  be  better  under- 
stood. In  extemporization,  the  mental  operations  are  usually 
more  deliberate,  and  the  expression  should  be  correspond- 
ingly so.  New  subjects  and  new  headings  require  more 
deliberate  Movement  because  of  their  relative  importance. 
Rate,  then  becomes  a  most  important  means  of  Emphasis  for  a 
variation  of  the  Movement  calls  particular  attention  to  the 
parts  thus  distinguished.  After  having  mastered  the  different 
Rates  as  to  physical  effects,  let  the  mind  yield  to  the 
instinctive  influence  of  the  emotion.  The  following  exer- 
cises should  be  practiced  until  the  student  can  execute 
with  precision  and  energy  the  varying  Rates  of  Movement. 

5.   Illustrative  Selections. 

(i)    The  Moderate  Rate  predominates  in  the  following 
passages : 

From  THE  LEGElfD  OF  BREGENZ. 

Far  from  her  home  and  kindred,  a  Tyrol  maid  had  fled, 
To  serve  in  the  Swiss  valleys,  and  toil  for  daily  bread  ; 
And  every  year  that  fleeted  so  silently  and  fast 
Seem'd  to  bear  further  from  her  the  memory  of  the  past. 

She  served  kind,  gentle  masters,  nor  asked  for  rest  or  change  ; 
Her  friends  seemed  no  more  new  ones,  their  speech  seemed  no 

more  strange  ; 

And,  when  she  led  her  cattle  to  pasture  every  day, 
She  ceased  to  look  and  wonder  on  which  side  Bregenz  lay. 

She  spoke  no  more  of  Bregenz,  with  longing  and  with  tears  ; 
Her  Tyrol  home  seemed  faded  in  a  deep  mist  of  years  ; 
She  heeded  not  the  rumors  of  Austrian  war  or  strife  ; 
Each  day  she  rose  contented,  to  the  calm  toils  of  life. 

Adelaide  Proctor. 


MOVEMENT.  327 

From  ADDRESS  OF  WELCOME  TO  THE  PAN-AMERICANS. 

We  share  to  the  full  measure  the  general  desire  of  our  country- 
men that  your  present  visit  to  the  United  States  may  lead  to  the 
establishment  of  closer  commercial  relations  between  us  and  the 
nations  that  you  represent.  But  standing  beneath  the  roof  of 
this  university,  may  I  not  venture  to  say  that  we  hope  and  believe 
that  the  visit  of  such  accomplished  scholars  and  publicists,  will 
tend  to  form  ties  stronger  than  those  of  mere  commercial  interest. 
There  is  an  intellectual  and  spiritual  brotherhood  which  embraces 
men  of  all  tongues  and  all  nations.  The  world  of  letters  and 
science  and  art,  if  it  knows  international  boundaries,  is  divided 
by  no  international  barriers.  In  the  interchange  and  common 
possession  of  the  great  ideas  of  the  best  thinkers  of  all  time,  we 
are  bound  together  in  one  fraternity.  Great  thoughts,  unhind- 
ered by  the  loftiest  mountain  ranges  or  the  wide  expanse  of 
ocean,  course  round  the  world  free  as  the  unfettered  airs  of 
heaven.  Whatever  obstacles  there  may  be  to  the  exchange  of 
the  material  products  of  your  countries  and  our  country,  there  is 
no  obstacle  to  the  exchange  of  thought. — James  B.  Angell. 

(2)    The   Slow  Rate  is  the  predominating  movement  in 
the  following  extracts  : 

From  MACBETH.     Act  III,  Scene  2. 

Macbeth.     Better  be  with  the  dead, 
Whom  we,  to  gain  our  place,  have  sent  to  peace, 
Than  on  the  torture  of  the  mind  to  lie 
In  restless  ecstasy.     Duncan  is  in  his  grave  ; 
After  life's  fitful  fever  he  sleeps  well  ; 
Treason  has  done  his  worst :  nor  steel,  nor  poison, 
Malice  domestic,  foreign  levy,  nothing, 
Can  touch  him  further. 

Lady  Macbeth.     Come  on  ;  gentle  my  lord, 
Sleek  o'er  your  rugged  looks  ;  be  bright  and  jovial 
Among  your  guests  to-night. 

Macb.  So  shall  I,  love  ; 

And  so,  I  pray,  be  you. 

Shakespeare. 


328  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


From  THE  WRECK  AT  RTVERMOUTH. 

O  Rivermouth  Rocks,  how  sad  a  sight 

Ye  saw  in  the  light  of  breaking  day  ! 
Dead  faces  looking  up  cold  and  white 

From  sand  and  sea-weed  where  they  lay. 
The  mad  old  witch-wife  wailed  and  wept, 
And  cursed  the  tide  as  it  backward  crept: 
"  Crawl  back,  crawl  back,  blue  water-snake  ! 
Leave  your  dead  for  the  hearts  that  break  ! " 

Solemn  it  was  in  that  old  day 

In  Hampton  town  and  its  log-built  church, 
Where  side  by  side  the  coffins  lay 

And  the  mourners  stood  in  aisle  and  porch : 
In  the  singing-seats  young  eyes  were  dim, 
The  voices  faltered  that  raised  the  hymn, 
And  Father  Dalton,  grave  and  stern, 
Sobbed  through  his  prayer  and  wept  in  turn. 

Whittier 


From  THE  YELLOW  CHRYSAJfTHEMUM. 

O,  Spirit  of  flower  so  rare, 

Glowing  with  light, 
Lead  me  to  the  bower,  where 

Cometh  no  night. 

Olive  E.  F.  Tiffany. 

(3)    The  Very  Slow  Rate.     The   underscored  parts  of 
the  following  passages  may  take  this  rate: 


From  JULIUS  CESAR.    Act  V,  Scene  i. 

Cassz'us.  Then,  if  we  lose  this  battle, 

You  are  contented  to  be  led  in  triumph 
Through  the  streets  of  Rome  ? 


MOVEMENT.  329 

Brutus.     No,  Cassius,  no:  think  not,  thou  noble  Roman, 
That  ever  Brutus  will  go  bound  to  Rome ; 
He  bears  too  great  a  mind.     But  this  same  day 
Must  end  that  work  the  ides  of  March  begun; 
And  whether  we  shall  meet  again  I  know  not. 
Therefore  our  everlasting  farewell  take: 
For  ever,  and  for  ever,  farewell,  Cassius! 
If  we  do  meet  again,  why,  we  shall  smile; 
If  not,  why,  then  this  parting  was  well  made. 

Cas.     For  ever,  and  for  ever,  farewell,  Brutus  ! 
If  we  do  meet  again,  we'll  smile  indeed; 
If  not,  'tis  true  this  parting  was  well  made. 

Bru.     Why,  then  lead  on.      O,  that  a  man  might  know 
The  end  of  this  day's  business  ere  it  come  ! 
But  it  sufficeth  that  the  day  will  end, 
And  then  the  end  is  known. —  Come,  ho  !  away  ! 

Shakespeare. 

From  MACBETH.    Act  I,  Scene  7. 

Macbeth.     If  it  were  done  when  'tis  done,  then  'twere  well. 
It  were  done  quickly,  if  th'  assassination 
Could  trammel  up  the  consequence,  and  catch, 
With  his  surcease,  success;  that  but  this  blow 
Might  be  the  be-all  and  the  end-all  here, 
But  here,  upon  this  bank  and  shoal  of  time, 
We  'd  jump  the  life  to  come.     But  in  these  cases 
We  still  have  judgment  here  ;  that  we  but  teach 
Bloody  instructions,  which,  being  taught,  return 
To  plague  th'  inventor  :    This  even-handed  justice 
Commends  th'  ingredients  of  our  poison'd  chalice 
To  our  own  lips.     He's  here  in  double  trust: 
First,  as  I  am  his  kinsman  and  his  subject, 


33O  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

Strong  both  against  the  deed;  then,  as  his  host, 
Who  should  against  his  murderer  shut  the  door, 
Not  bear  the  knife  myself.     Besides,  this  Duncan 
Hath  borne  his  faculties  so  meek,  hath  been 
So  clear  in  his  great  office,  that  his  virtues 
Will  plead  like  angels,  trumpet-tongued,  against 
The  deep  damnation  of  his  taking-off. 

Shakespeare. 

(4)  The  Rapid  Rate  is  the  predominating  movement  in 
the  following  passages  : 

From  THE  SCHOOL  FOR  SCANDAL.    Act  III,  Scene  i. 

Sir  Peter  Teazle.  Now,  may  all  the  plagues  of  marriage  be 
doubled  on  me,  if  ever  I  try  to  be  friends  with  you  any  more. 

Lady  Teazle.     So  much  the  better. 

Sir  P.  No,  no,  madam  ;  'tis  evident  you  never  cared  a  pin  for 
me,  and  I  was  a  madman  to  marry  you,  —  a  pert,  rural  coquette, 
that  had  refused  half  the  honest  squires  in  the  neighborhood. 

Lady  T.  And  I  am  sure  I  was  a  fool  to  marry  you,  —  an  old 
dangling  bachelor,  who  was  single  at  fifty,  only  because  he  never 
could  meet  with  any  one  who  would  have  him. 

Sir  P.  Ay,  ay,  madam  ;  but  you  were  pleased  enough  to  listen 
to  me  ;  you  never  had  such  an  offer  before. 

Lady  T.  No  ?  didn't  I  refuse  Sir  Tivy  Terrier,  who  everybody 
said  would  have  been  a  better  match?  for  his  estate  is  just  as 
good  as  yours,  and  he  has  broke  his  neck  since  we  have  been 
married.  —  Richard  Brinsley  Sheridan. 

From  THE  CONFESSIONAL. 

I  saw  those  eyes 

That  used  to  look  such  passion  into  mine, 
Turned  with  the  selfsame  look  to  other  eyes,  — 
Yes,  light  blue  eyes,  —  that  upward  gazed  at  him, 
I  could  not  bear  their  bliss. 


MOVEMENT.  331 

I  scarcely  knew  what  happened  then  ;  I  knew 

I  felt  for  the  stiletto  in  my  vest 

With  purpose  that  was  half  mechanical, 

As  if  a  demon  used  my  hand  for  his. 

I  felt  the  red  blood  singing  through  my  brain, 

I  struck,  —  before  me,  at  my  feet,  she  fell. 

Anon. 

(5)   The  Very  Rapid  Rate.     The  underscored  passages 
may  properly  take  this  Rate  : 

From  HOW  THE  OLD  HORSE  WON  THE  BET. 

Before  a  quarter  pole  was  pass'd, 

Old  Hiram  said,  "He's  going  fast." 

Long  ere  the  quarter  was  a  half, 

The  chuckling  crowd  had  ceased  to  laugh  ; 

Tighter  his  frightened  jockey  clung 

As  in  a  mighty  stride  he  swung, 

The  gravel  flying  in  his  track, 

His  neck  stretched  out,  his  ears  laid  back, 

His  tail  extended  all  the  while 


Behind  him  like  a  rat-tail  file  ! 
Off  went  a  shoe,  —  away  it  spun, 
Shot  like  a  bullet  from  a  gun  ; 
The  quaking  jockey  shapes  a  prayer 
From  scraps  of  oaths  he  used  to  swear ; 
He  drops  his  whip,  he  drops  his  rein, 
He  clutches  fiercely  for  a  mane  ; 
He'll  lose  his  hold,  —  he  sways  and  reels,  - 
He'll  slide  beneath  those  trampling  heels  ! 
The  knees  of  many  a  horseman  quake, 
The  flowers  on  many  a  bonnet  shake, 
And  shouts  arise  from  left  and  right, 


332  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

"  Stick  on  !  stick  on  !  "     "  Hould  tight !  hould  tight !  " 
"  Cling  round  his  neck  ;   and  don't  let  go,  — 
That  pace  can't  hold,  —  there  !  steady  !  whoa  !  " 

Holmes. 

From  UNCLE  DAN'LS  APPARITION. 

"Well,  Uncle  Dan'l,  I  think  that — My!  here  comes  another 
one  up  the  river  !  There  can't  be  two  !  " 

"  We  gone  dis  time,  —  we  done  gone  dis  time,  sho' !  Dey 
ain't  two,  Mars  Clay,  —  dat's  de  same  one.  De  Lord  kin  'pear 
eberywhah  in  a  second.  Goodness,  how  de  fiah  an'  de  smoke  do 
belch  up !  Dat  mean  business,  honey.  He  comin'  now  like  he 
fo'got  sumfin.  Come  'long,  chil'en  ;  time  you's  gwine  to  roos'. 
Go  'long  wid  you,  —  ole  Uncle  Dan'l  gwine  out  in  de  woods  to 
rastle  in  prah,  —  de  ole  niggah  gwine  to  do  what  he  kin  to  sabe 
you  agin."  —  Mark  Twain. 

6.   Selection  for  Original  Study  in  Rate. 

The  student  should  analyze  the  following  selection, 
determine  the  Rate  of  Movement  for  each  of  the  varying 
sentiments,  and  read  or  recite  them  accordingly  : 

From  THE  CONFESSIONAL. 

At  last  the  autumn  came,  the  stricken,  bleeding,  autumn, 

Something  weighed  on  his  mind  I  could  not  understand  ; 

I  knew  all  was  not  right,  yet  dared  not  ask. 

At  last,  a  few  words  made  all  things  plain  ; 

«  Love,  I  must  go  to  Venice."     "  Must  ?  "     "  Yes,  must." 

"  Then  I  go  too."     "  No,  no  ;  ah  !  Nina,  no. 

Four  weeks  pass  swiftly  ;  one  short  month,  and  then 

I  shall  return  to  Florence  and  to  you." 

Vain  were  my  words.     He  went ;  alas  !  he  went 
With  all  the  sunshine  ;  and  I  wore  alone 
The  weary  weeks  out  of  that  hateful  month. 


MOVEMENT.        *  333 

Another  month  I  waited,  nervous,  fierce 

With  love's  impatience.     When  that  month  was  gone 

My  heart  was  all  afire  ;  I  could  not  stay. 

Consumed  with  jealous  fears  that  wore  me  down 

Into  a  fever,  —  necklace,  earrings,  —  all 

I  sold,  and  on  to  Venice  rushed.     How  long 

That  dreary,  never-ending  journey  seemed  ! 

I  cursed  the  hills  up  which  we  slowly  dragged, 

The  long,  flat  plains  of  Lombardy  I  cursed 

That  kept  me  back  from  Venice. 

But  at  last,  in  a  black  gondola,  I  swam  along 
The  sea-built  city,  and  my  heart  was  big 
With  the  glad  thought  that  I  was  near  to  him. 
Yes,  gladness  came  upon  me  that  soft  night, 
And  jealousy  was  hushed,  and  hope  led  on 
My  dancing  heart.     In  vain  I  strove  to  curb 
My  glad  impatience  —  I  must  see  him  then, 
At  once,  that  very  night ;  I  could  not  wait 
The  tardy  morning — 'twas  a  year  away  ! 
I  only  gave  the  gondolier  his  name 
And  said,  "  You  know  him  ?  "     "  Yes." 
"  Then  row  me  quick  to  where  he  is." 

He  bowed  and  on  we  went, 

And  as  we  swept  along,  I  leaned  me  out 

And  dragged  my  burning  fingers  in  the  wave,  — 

My  hurried  heart  forecasting  to  itself  our  meeting. 

What  he'd  say  and  think,  — 

How  I  should  hang  upon  his  neck  and  say : 

"  I  could  not  longer  live  without  you,  dear." 

At  last  we  paused.     The  gondolier  said  : 

"  This  is  the  palace."  I  was  struck  aghast. 

It  flared  with  lights  that  from  the  windows  gleamed 

And  trickled  down  into  the  black  canal. 

"Stop  !     Stop  !  "     I  cried,  "  'tis  some  mistake. 

Why  are  these  lights  ?     This  palace  is  not  his. 

He  owns  no  palace."    "  Pardon,"  answered  he, 


334  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

"  I  fancied  the  signora  wished  to  see 

The  marriage  festa  —  and  all  Venice  knows 

The  bride  receives  to-night."  "  What  bride  ?   Whose  bride  ?! 

I  asked  impatient.     "Count  Alberti's  bride, — 

Whom  else?"  he  answered  with  a  shrug.     My  heart 

From  its  glad,  singing  height,  dropped  like  a  lark 

Shot  dead,  at  these  words..     The  whole  world  reeled, 

And  for  a  moment  I  was  crushed  and  stunned. 

Then  came  the  wild  revulsion  of  despair ; 

Then  calm  more  dreadful  than  the  fiercest  pain. 

Anon. 


PART    III. 

THE    ELEMENTS    OF   ACTION. 

INTRODUCTION. 

Action  in  expression  is  that  part  of  delivery  which 
addresses  itself  to  the  eye.  It  is  one  of  the  dual  agents 
of  Elocution  by  means  of  which  that  which  has  been  im- 
pressed may  be  expressed;  it  relates  to  the  expressions  of 
countenance,  the  positions,  attitudes,  and  movements  of  the 
Head,  Torso,  and  Limbs. 

Action  is  a  universal  language,  the  same  in  kind  among 
all  peoples,  varying  only  in  degree.  The  reverent  bow  of 
the  head  with  one  people  becomes  a  genuflection  or  a  prone 
position  of  the  body  with  another.  The  uplifted  fist  and 
angry  look  mean  the  same  the  world  over,  as  do  the  look 
and  gesture  of  welcome.  The  desire  to  reinforce  spoken 
language  with  some  kind  of  action  is  universal.  When  one 
fails  to  make  himself  understood  "  by  word  of  mouth  "  he 
resorts  to  gesture.  It  is,  then,  the  purpose  of  action  to 
modify  or  reenforce  speech;  when  it  does  not  do  this  it  is 
superfluous. 

I.    IMPORTANCE  OF  THE  SUBJECT. 

Mantegazza  says,  "Spontaneous  physical  expression  is 
the  language  of  all  intelligent  men,  and  extends  its  influence 
beyond  the  domain  of  humanity;  it  is  comprehensible  to 
those  animals  who  most  approximate  to  us  by  the  develop- 
ment of  their  nerve  centers."  On  this  account  we  more 

335 


336  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

readily  understand  their  action  and  they  ours.  For  example, 
threaten  to  strike  a  dog,  or  pick  up  a  stone  to  hurl  at  him 
and  he  will  make  every  effort  to  avoid  you;  reach  out  the 
hand  to  beckon  or  caress  him  and  he  understands  equally 
well. 

But  still  more  important  is  the  use  of  the  hand  in  address- 
ing the  highest  order  of  intelligent  beings.  The  orator  by 
the  use  of  gesture  in  public  speaking  gains  the  important 
advantage  of  addressing  the  intellect  and  passions  through 
two  senses.  Quintilian  attributes  to  the  hand  the  power 
to  invite  or  repel,  accept  or  reject,  give  or  withhold,  wel- 
come or  deprecate;  to  indicate  number  and  quantity,  express 
abundance  or  destitution,  exultation  or  dejection;  to  appeal, 
challenge,  warn,  threaten  or  scorn. 

An  eloquent  man  compelled  to  speak  under  great  emotion 
with  his  hands  bound  to  his  side  would  experience  the 
greatest  discomfort,  if  indeed,  his  eloquence  were  not  alto- 
gether stilled.  The  eloquent  Garfield,  on  the  morning  of  the 
death  of  Lincoln  when  he  quieted  the  fierce  tumult  in  Wall 
Street,  New  York,  with  that  memorable  sentence,  "  God  reigns 
and  the  Government  at  Washington  still  lives,"  would  have 
been  next  to  powerless  without  the  quieting  influence  of 
the  hand.  Hence  we  see  that  action,  the  complement  of 
spoken  language,  is  a  most  essential  element  of  the  speaker's 
power. 

II.   CONCEPTION  OF  ACTION. 

Before  entering  into  the  work  of  the  cultivation  of  the 
body  and  the  study  of  the  Principles  of  action  it  may  be  well 
to  fix  upon  a  standard  for  guidance  in  the  application  of  each 
exercise  and  Principle.  With  this  standard  clearly  before 
us,  the  student  will  be  relieved  of  much  of  the  drudgery 
usually  associated  with  this  study  and  drill. 

Primarily  the  Conception  or  Application  of  the  Principles 
of  Action  depends  upon  taste  which  varies,  and  always  will 
vary  to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  among  speakers.  Yet  we 


INTRODUCTION.  337 

hold  that  there  are  general  rules  or  suggestions  based  upon 
the  laws  of  criticism,  that  will  aid  the  student  very  materi- 
ally in  fixing  his  habits  of  gesture.  These  may  be  grouped 
under  four  heads  as  follows:  —  i.  Impulse  to  Gesture.  2. 
Suppression  of  Self.  3.  The  Limits  of  Personation,  and  4. 
Action  for  Figurative  Language. 

1 .  Impulse  to  Gesture. 

The  impulse  to  action  is  of  first  importance ;  then  comes 
the  form  of  the  gesture.  This  impulse  springs  out  of  the 
activities  of  the  psychic  state  and  represents  the  various 
blends  of  the  Mental,  Emotive,  and  Vital  Natures;  hence  a 
gesture  without  impulse  back  of  it  is  like  a  word  without 
meaning  —  an  automatic  grimace  without  a  soul.  Much  of 
the  unfavorable  criticism  upon  the  study  of  gesture  —  and, 
in  fact,  upon  the  whole  study  of  elocution  —  is  due  to  the 
mechanical  execution  of  a  principle  without  the  psychic 
impulse  which  should  inspire  it.  Let  the  student  remem- 
ber that  a  genuine  impulse  in  poor  form  is  preferable  to  a 
well  formed  gesture  with  no  impulse.  Better  no  gesture 
than  no  impulse.  But  both  may  be  acquired  and  developed. 

The  study  and  practice  of  the  forms  of  action  is  legiti- 
mate and  useful.  Moreover  there  is  a  reciprocal  advantage 
in  this,  for  while  the  impulse  helps  the  form,  it  will  be 
found  that  the  exercise  of  the  form,  in  turn,  cultivates  the 
impulse. 

2.  Suppression  of  Self. 

We  must  hide  behind  our  subject.  The  speaker  who 
makes  himself  more  prominent  than  his  theme  is  a  failure. 
He  is  a  successful  orator  who  leads  his  audience  to  think 
his  thougHtspfeel  his  emotions  and  do  his  will,  all  uncon- 
scious of  the  speaker  himself. 

This  is  a  large  subject  and  involves  more  than  can  be 
discussed  here  ;  but  the  most  fruitful  source  of  exaltation  of 


33^  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

the  speaker  above  his  theme  is  ill  conceived  and  badly 
executed  action.  Awkward,  inappropriate  gesture  attracts 
attention  to  the  speaker.  How  often  a  beautiful  thought 
or  a  sublime  emotion  is  marred  by  the  reader's  interpreta- 
tion, and  we  carry  away  with  us  only  the  memory  of  a  ludi- 
crous ges.ture  or  a  painful  grimace. 

On  the  other  hand,  too  much  action,  like  over-ornamenta- 
tion in  dress,  though  beautiful  in  itself,  attracts  attention  to 
the  speaker  and  correspondingly  away  from  the  thought 
of  the  recitation  or  speech.  In  short,  affectation  and  vanity 
are  quite  as  distasteful  on  the  rostrum  as  in  private  life,  and 
in  no  way  does  the  speaker  show  these  frailties  more  plainly 
than  by  his  conception  and  application  of  action. 

3.    Litnits  of  Personation. 

In  no  particular,  perhaps,  does  the  reciter  err  more 
than  in  the  choice  and  extent  of  his  personation  of 
character.  Many  of  our  public  entertainers  personate 
everything  from  the  merest  description  to  legitimate  person- 
ation which  they  often  overact  to  a  degree  that  is  painful  to 
an  audience.  Their  desire  to  act  out  every  phase  of  the 
language  seems  to  take  possession  of  them  and  they  leave 
nothing  to  the  imagination. 

(i)  First  Limitation. 

To  formulate  the  limitations  of  personation  we  may  lay 
down  several  very  broad  and  general  rules,  the  first  one  of 
which  is  that^a  speaker  should  personate  only  when  he  has 
the  direct  words  or  the  strong  emotion  of  a  character  to 
utter.  These  may  be  determined  by  the  context  and  are 
generally  represented  on  the  printed  page  by  quotation 
marks  or  by  the  dramatic  significance  of  the  thought. 

To  illustrate:  A  prominent  reader  recites,  among  other 
selections,  Whittier's  "Maud  Muller."  When  he  comes  to 
the  lines  : 


INTRODUCTION.  339 

"  She  stooped  where  the  cool  spring  bubbled  up, 
And  filled  for  him  her  small  tin  cup, 
And  blushed  as  she  gave  it,  looking  down 
At  her  feet  so  bare,  and  her  tattered  gown," 

on  the  first  line  he  stoops  down  until  his  knuckles  almost 
touch  the  floor  ;  in  the  second  line  he  dips  at  the  water ; 
then  he  stands  up  and  tries  to  blush  as  he  represents  Maud 
Muller  giving  the  cup  of  water  to  the  Judge  who  is  on 
horseback  ;  and,  lastly,  he  makes  a  gesture  and  looks  down, 
directing  the  attention  of  the  audience  to  his  own  feet 
which  are  not  "bare"  and  to  the  "tattered  gown"  which 
is  not  there.  The  picture  presented  to  the  mental  vision 
of  the  audience  is  not  that  of  the  beautiful  Maud  Muller, 
with  her  sweet  simplicity  and  unstudied  grace,  but  the 
picture  of  this  man  going  through  the  antics  of  a  false  con- 
ception, trying  to  be  two  persons  at  once,  the  narrator  and 
Maud  Muller.  Beyond  all  doubt  the  imagination  has  been 
cheated  of  the  idealistic  picture  of  the  girl  which  the  correct 
recitation  of  the  poet's  words  would  have  given. 

Let  us  look  for  a  moment  into  the  impossibility  of  carry- 
ing out  this  so-called  popular  conception  of  action.  Even 
if  it  is  admitted  that  the  reciter  may  stoop  down  to  a  cool 
spring  which  is  not  there  and  fill  an  imaginary  cup  which 
is  not  in  his  hand,  when  he  stands  up  to  give  the  cup  to  the 
Judge,  he  cannot  carry  out  the  idea  and  blush  at  will.  To 
be  consistent  he  should  do  this,  which  is  nothing  short  of  a 
perversion  of  nature  which  of  itself  condemns  the  attempt. 

In  speaking  of  another's  eyes,  or  mouth,  or  hair,  or  heart, 
there  is  no  occasion  to  make  gestures  referring  to  these 
parts  of  one's  own  physical  organism.  If  we  speak  casually 
of  a  Hercules  we  should  not  assume  an  attitude  of  strength. 
If  we  speak  of  a  flower,  a  tree,  a  stream,  a  city,  a  mountain, 
or  a  star  we  should  simply  locate  them.  If  we  speak  of  a 
crying  child,  a  dancing  girl,  a  kneeling  man,  or  a  hovering 
angel,  we  may  locate  them,  but  we  must  not  personate  them 


340  PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 

in  these  actions.  In  almost  any  selection  suitable  for  public 
recitation,  there  will  be  opportunity  enough  for  personation 
in  the  words  of  the  characters  introduced  ;  but  we  must  put 
the  personations  in  their  proper  places.  In  "No  Sects  in 
Heaven "  we  have  in  quotation  marks  the  words  of  the 
clergyman,  as  follows  : 

"  As  down  to  the  stream  his  way  he  took, 
His  pale  hands  clasping  a  gilt-edged  book: 

'  I'm  bound  for  Heaven,  and  when  I'm  there, 
I  shall  want  my  Book  of  Common  Prayer.'  " 

We  should  not  clasp  an  imaginary  book  on  the  second  line, 
but  we  may  do  so  in  the  last  two  lines,  and  also  personate 
the  clergyman  in  look  and  tone. 

In  short,  as  the  highest  form  of  art  represents  a  character 
or  incident  not  at  its  climax  but  almost  ready  to  reach  it, 
leaving  the  mind  of  the  beholder  to  paint,  in  his  own  imagi- 
nation, a  greater  climax  than  the  skill  of  the  painter  or 
sculptor  could  execute,  so  the  gesture  and  attitude  of  the 
orator  or  reader  should  suggest  without  any  attempt  at 
carrying  out  a  picture  or  a  thought  to  its  ultimate  culmina- 
tion. 

(2)   Second  Limitation. 

We  should  distinguish  between  the  reciter  and  the 
actor.  While  we  have  the  right  to  personate  when  we  have 
the  words  of  a  character  to  utter,  we  must  not  trespass 
upon  the  territory  of  the  actor.  Let  us  draw  the  line 
between  these  two  fields  of  art.  As  a  personator  or  reciter, 
dressed  appropriately  for  public  appearance,  we  may  sug- 
gest the  action  without  carrying  it  to  the  extent  appropriate 
to  the  actor.  There  must  be  no  attempt  at  costume,  or 
dependence  upon  stage  accessories.  We  must  suggest  the 
picture,  and  allow  the  imagination  of  the  audience  to  paint 
it.  We  may  personate  a  number  of  characters  at  different 
times  and  make  them  follow  in  close  succession  if  the 


INTRODUCTION.  341 

selection  or  scene  is  so  written,  or  the  construction  of  the 
original  speech  warrants,  but  we  should  not  act  them.  The 
drawing  of  a  dagger  may  be  indicated,  but  there  is  no  neces- 
sity of  sheathing  it.  In  the  personation  of  Hamlet  the  re- 
citer can  indicate  the  drawing  of  a  sword  and  the  stabbing 
of  Polonius,  but  he  must  not  carry  out  the  action  to  the  ex- 
tent that  would  be  appropriate  to  the  actor.  The  reciter  of 
a  tragic  part  must  not  wear  a  sword  or  a  concealed  dagger, 
though  they  may  be  necessary  to  the  actor. 

The  actor  must  have  the  costume  upon  him,  the  scenery 
behind  him,  the  support  around  him,  and  all  the  stage 
accessories  at  hand.  If  he  addresses  another  character, 
that  character  must  be  there  in  appropriate  costume  to 
respond.  He  actually  paints  the  pictures,  and  by  the  action 
of  all  the  characters,  together  with  the  change  of  scenery  and 
other  stage  effects,  the  drama,  with  all  its  transitions,  be- 
comes a  living  experience  to  the  audience. 

The  personator  draws  his  locations,  scenes,  characters, 
and  accessories  from  the  realms  of  the  imagination,  uses 
them  for  the  moment  to  suggest  the  picture,  and  then  they 
vanish  without  a  literal  accounting  for,  leaving  their  ideal- 
istic impress  upon  the  minds  of  the  audience.  There 
should  be  no  encroachment  upon  the  actor's  art  by  the 
elocutionist  or  orator. 

(3)  Third  Limitation. 

As  a  valuable  corollary  to  the  above,  Mr.  S.  H.  Clark  of 
the  University  of  Chicago  adds  the  following  in  substance  : 
We  should  not  personate,  even  though  we  have  the 
quoted  words  of  a  character,  unless  such  personation 
is  absolutely  necessary  to  the  thought  or  dramatic  effect 
of  the  interpretation. 

In  the  sentence  :  "  He  said  :  *  Bring  me  my  hat  and  let 
us  take  a  walk,' "  there  is  no  necessity  for  the  personation 
of  the  quoted  words  unless  there  is  some  special  significance 


342  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

in  the  manner  in  which  they  were  uttered.  The  same  is 
true  in  the  sentence,  "  They  would  all  cry  '  unclean '  at  the 
sight  of  such  a  monster,"  if  given  in  a  colloquial,  unim- 
passioned  way. 

Again,  in  the  case  of  a  personation  within  a  personation, 
the  subordinate  characters  should  not  have  the  prominence 
of  a  distinct  personation  even  though  they  are  in  quotation 
marks.  For  example,  in  the  selection  Connor  we  have  the 
personation  of  the  Captain  who  tells  of  the  death  of 
Connor's  wife,  and  quotes  her  last  words  as  follows  : 

"  That  night  Nora  was  taken  ill  also  ;  she  grew  worse  fast.  In 
the  morning  she  called  me  to  her.  « Tell  Connor  I  died  thinking 
of  him,'  she  said,  '  and  tell  him  to  meet  me.'  And  my  man,  God 
help  you,  she  never  said  anything  more." 

Here  the  personality  of  the  Captain,  and  not  the  voice  or 
action  of  the  dying  woman,  should  be  made  prominent. 

In  the  personation  of  Cassius  in  the  following  lines  from 
Julius  Caesar  (Act  I,  Scene  2)  in  which  he  quotes  the  words 
of  Caesar,  italicised  below :  — 

"  Ay,  and  that  tongue  of  his,  that  bade  the  Romans 
Mark  him,  and  write  his  speeches  in  their  books, 
Alas,  it  cried,  Give  me  some  drink,  Titinius,   . 
As  a  sick  girl." 

We  think  that  the  personality  of  Cassius  should  be  pre- 
served and  the  words  quoted  should  not  be  given  in  the 
voice  or  action  of  the  sick  Caesar,  or  as  a  sick  girl. 

(4)   Fourth  Limitation. 

Another  corollary  to  our  general  rule  is  given  in  what 
Mr.  Clark  terms  "dramatic  identification,"  which  we  here 
give  in  substance  and  place  as  our  fourth  limitation  :  We 
may  use  personative  action  when  the  intensity  of  the 
character  or  emotion  supersedes  the  mental  importance 
or  narrative  feature  of  the  language.  This  is  often  seen 
when  the  speaker  portrays  a  very  vivid  dramatic  scene  or 


INTRODUCTION.  343 

incident  when  the  words  are  not  the  direct  language  of  the 
character  he  personates.  For  example,  in  the  following 
description  of  the  Chariot-race  from  "Ben  Hur" \  — 

"Out  flew  the  many-folded  lash  in  his  hand;  over  the  backs 
of  the  startled  steeds  it  writhed  and  hissed,  and  hissed  and  writhed 
again  and  again;  and  though  it  fell  not,  there  were  both  sting  and 
menace  in  its  quick  report." 

The  dramatic  intensity  is  so  great  that  the  speaker, 
though  using  the  words  of  narrative,  becomes  so  identified 
with  the  character  and  incidents  that  his  gesture  may  indi- 
cate the  movement  of  Ben  Hur's  hand  as  he  wields  the 
whip  "over  the  backs  of  the  startled  steeds." 

So  in  the  following  lines  from  The  Last  Hymn  : 

"  Then  the  pitying  people  hurried  from  their  homes 
and  thronged  the  beach, 

O,  for  power  to  cross  the  waters,  and  the  perishing 
to  reach! 

Helpless  hands  were  wrung  in  terror,  tender  hearts 
grew  cold  with  dread, 

And  the  ship  urged  by  the  tempest  to  the  fatal  rock- 
shore  sped. 

She  has  parted  in  the  middle  !  O,  the  half  of  her 
goes  down  ! 

God  have  mercy  !  " 

The  second  and  last  two  lines  are  so  emotive  that  they 
become  a  semi-personation,  and  dramatic  identification  allows 
the  reciter  to  give  them  in  the  tones  and  action  of  one  who 
witnessed  the  wreck.  But  the  third  and  fourth  lines  require 
locative  and  not  personative  gestures. 

The  student  must  consider  all  the  conditions  which  pro- 
duce dramatic  identification  and  not  allow  the  exception  to 
warp  his  judgment  and  cause  him  to  violate  the  general  rule 
laid  down  in  our  first  limitation  of  personation. 


344  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

4.    Action  for  Figurative  Language. 

We  should  not  use  literal  action  to  express  figurative 
language.  While  this  applies  more  particularly  to  oratory 
it  is  a  strong  point  of  criticism  in  recitation.  It  is  a  fault 
common  to  the  young  collegian  and  peculiar  to  the  first  step 
in  speech-making  or  oratory.  This  is  perhaps  due  to  the 
fact  that  during  this  formative  mental  period  he  uses  a 
greater  amount  of  figurative  language  than  the  experience  of 
more  mature  years  will  sanction.  If  he  speaks  of  a  "  broad 
principle  "  he  often  makes  a  gesture  indicating  literal  breadth; 
for  "  England  rose  in  her  might,"  his  action  indicates  that 
nation  rising  bodily  out  of  the  sea  ;  "  truth  crushed  to  earth 
will  rise  again  "  he  reduces  to  a  literal  crushing  and  rising ; 
for  "  lifting  the  veil  of  darkness  from  your  eyes  "  he  lifts  a 
literal  veil  from  his  own  eyes  ;  and  for  the  "  great  heart  of 
South  Carolina  "  he  places  his  hand  on  his  own  heart.  In 
all  of  these  cases  the  speaker  has  reduced  the  greatness  of 
the  figure  of  speech  to  the  narrow  limits  of  his  little  gesture, 
and  deprived  the  language  of  its  broader  and  more  imagina- 
tive significance.  A  "  broad  principle  "  is  as  broad  as  the 
earth  ;  "  truth  rising  "  affects  all  mankind  ;  "  England  rose  " 
in  her  strength  of  intellectual  and  martial  power ;  "  the  veil 
of  darkness  "  is  but  a  set  rhetorical  figure  ;  and  there  are  no 
geographical  lines  by  which  the  pulsating  "  heart  of  South 
Carolina  "  may  be  located. 

In  all  the  above  cases  emphatic  gestures  may  be  used 
upon  the  emphatic  words  if  the  thought  or  emotion  is 
sufficiently  strong  ,to  warrant  them,  but  never  those  gestures 
which  indicate  a  literal  carrying  out  of  the  figurative  language. 

III.    REQUISITES  OF  ACTION. 

Following  the  treatment  of  the  conception  of  action,  and 
preparatory  to  the  study  of  the  elements  or  principles  we 
call  attention  to  the  five  most  important  requisites  or  quali- 


INTRODUCTION.  345 

ties  of  gesture,  namely  :    Grace,   Force,    Precision,  Sequence, 

and  Economy. 

1 .  Grace  of  Gestiire. 

By  Grace  of  gesture  is  meant  the  ease  and  freedom  with 
which  movements  are  made,  transitions  effected,  and  re- 
pose regained.  It  comes  of  the  harmonious  action  of  all 
parts  of  the  body ;  it  is  the  poetry  of  motion.  It  is  that 
power  so  easy,  so  natural,  that  it  charms  by  its  very  simplicity. 

There  should  be  enough  curve  in  all  gesture  for  grace, 
but  not  enough  for  extravagance ;  the  want  of  at  least  slight 
bends  makes  gesture  generally  stiff  and  formal.  Awkward- 
ness may  be  overcome  by  systematic  and  persistent  exer- 
cise in  aesthetic  physical  culture  and  technique  of  gesture, 
for  any  form  of  awkwardness,  we  have  seen,  calls  attention 
from  the  discourse  to  the  speaker.  "  Grace  wins  favor." 

2.  Force  of  Gesture. 

By  Force  of  gesture  is  meant  the  energy  and  boldness 
with  which  movements  are  made  from  beginning  to  close. 
Gestures  as  to  strength  may  be  gentle,  moderate,  or  impas- 
sioned. These  results  depend,  in  great  measure,  upon  the 
velocity  of  the  movements,  which  in  turn  should  correspond 
with  the  thought,  feeling  or  emotion  expressed.  The  more 
majestic  or  gloomy  the  emotion  the  slower  the  movement, 
the  more  abrupt  the  utterance  the  quicker  the  movement, 
and  the  more  explosive  the  passion  the  more  instantaneous 
the  movement ;  tranquility,  for  example,  requiring  gentle, 
ordinary  description  moderate,  and  rage  impassioned  move- 
ments. 

3.    Precision  of  Gesture. 

By  Precision  of  gesture  is  meant  the  proper  timing  of  the 
movement  from  the  beginning  to  the  end.  Gesture  would 
better  be  awkward  or  too  strong  than  untimely.  A  move- 
ment out  of  time  in  speech  is  like  a  note  out  of  time  in 
music.  It  mars  the  harmony  or  rhythm  of  action. 


346  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

This  subject  naturally  resolves  itself  into  five  parts, 
namely,  the  Preparation,  the  Sweep,  the  Stroke,  the  Transi- 
tion, if  there  be  any,  and  the  Return. 

(i)   The  Preparation. 

It  is  quite  as  important  to  move  the  arms  properly  in 
preparation  as  to  have  a  right  position  at  the  conclusion, 
for  the  eye  often  dwells  longer  on  that  part  of  the  movement 
than  on  the  finish.  Often  some  of  the  strongest  effects  in 
oratory  are  produced  by  the  poising  or  suspension  of  the 
hand  in  the  preparation,  as  it  were  to  hold  expectancy.  It 
is  like  the  poise  of  a  hammer  in  mid-air  before  the  stroke, 
or  the  balance  of  an  eagle  when  he  is  about  to  swoop  down 
upon  his  prey.  In  no  case  should  the  audience  be  cheated 
of  the  stroke  or  culmination  anticipated.  In  preparation 
the  hand  is  usually  relaxed  and  moves  through  large  arches 
to  the  point  where  the  sweep  or  expressive  part  of  the  ges- 
ture begins.  The  student  should  guard  against  the  preva- 
lent fault  of  a  too  wide  or  out-of-the-way  swing  of  the  hand 
in  preparation  ;  it  is  to  gesture  what  flourish  is  to  penman- 
ship —  superfluous. 

(2)  The  Sweep. 

The  sweep  of  gesture,  giving  the  expression  in  direction, 
may  be  rapid  or  slow  in  velocity  in  accordance  with  the  sen- 
timent, but  it  must  always  immediately  precede  the  emphatic 
syllable.  Additional  impetus  is  given  to  the  sweep  by  the 
spring  of  the  elbow  and  the  wrist.  The  longer  the  radius  of 
movement,  the  longer  the  time  usually  spent  in  the  sweep,  — 
a  movement  from  the  shoulder  generally  requiring  more 
time  than  one  from  the  elbow  or  wrist. 

(3)  The  Stroke. 

The  Stroke  of  a  gesture  lies  in  the  spring  of  the  hand 
from  the  wrist.  For  this  purpose,  then,  in  nearly  all  ges- 


INTRODUCTION.  347 

tures  the  hand  is  reserved  for  the  stroke.  The  grace  of  the 
finish  lies  in  the  easy  movement  of  the  fingers,  which  should 
occur  simultaneously  with  the  wrist  action,  or  so  nearly  so 
that  the  time  between  them  is  scarcely  appreciable.  The 
strength  of  the  stroke  should  correspond  with  the  Force  of 
the  gesture,  i.  e.,  it  should  be  gentle,  moderate,  or  impas- 
sioned, according  to  the  sentiment  or  emotion. 

Gesture  should  finish  on  the  accented  syllable  of  the 
emphatic  word  of  that  portion  of  the  sentence. 

In  order  to  gain  the  full  effect  of  a  gesture,  the  hand 
should  be  held  in  place  a  moment  after  the  stroke.  In 
many  cases  the  thought  may  be  emphasized  by  slight  im- 
pulses upon  the  principal  words  that  follow  in  a  clause. 
This  is  done  without  renewing  the  preparation,  by  a  slight 
impulse  from  the  elbow.  In  the  strongest  strokes  there  is 
generally  a  slight  rebound  of  the  hand  previous  to  its  return 
to  the  side  or  its  transition. 

(4)   The  Transition. 

When  one  gesture  follows  another  immediately,  instead  of 
allowing  the  hand  to  go  to  the  side,  let  it  glide  easily  into 
the  preparation  for  the  next  movement,  at  which  point  the 
suggestions  regarding  its  sweep  and  stroke  are  the  same  as 

before. 

(5)  The  Return. 

When  the  gesture  has  served  its  purpose,  and  no  other  is 
to  follow  immediately,  the  hand  should  return  easily,  but 
directly,  to  the  side,  so  as  to  avoid  the  extremes,  first  of 
drawing  the  hand  in  by  some  circuitous  route  and  placing  it 
away  mechanically,  and  second,  of  letting  it  fall  so  heavily 
as  to  attract  attention. 

4.    Sequence  of  Gesture. 

By  Sequence  of  gesture  is  meant  the  movement  of  the 
agents  of  physical  expression  in  proper  order.  After  the 


34-8  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

thought  come  the  sparkle  of  the  eye,  the  glow  of  the  face, 
the  animation  of  the  torso,  then  the  utterance  and  gesture. 
The  importance  of  this  requisite  will  be  seen  at  once  if  the 
speaker  should  reverse  this  order,  giving  the  gesture  first 
and  ending  with  the  expression  of  the  face. 

5.   Economy  of  Gesture. 

By  Economy  of  gesture  is  meant  the  use  of  just  enough 
appropriate  action  to  properly  reenforce  the  thought. 

The  Rev.  Herrick  Johnson,  speaking  on  this  subject,  says  : 
"  Economy  of  gesture  is  just  like  precision  in  speech.  You 
do  not  want  too  many  words  to  express  thought,  but  you 
want  enough.  Not  two  arms  where  one  will  suffice.  Not  a 
gesture  for  every  varying  thought,  and  not  too  frequent 
gesture  for  the  same  thought.  For  example,  the  digital 
finger  is  very  strong  in  gesture  if  used  with  economy.  If 
it  is  used  now  and  then  you  can  send  the  thought  right 
down  into  the  hearer's  heart  by  shaking  your  fore-finger  at 
him.  But  if  you  are  shaking  it  all  the  time  what  does  it 
amount  to  ?  " 

It  is  a  violation  of  economy  that  causes  gestures  to  tire 
by  their  frequency.  This  may  come  of  repeating  the  same 
gesture  too  often,  or  from  a  continued  use  of  gestures  even 
though  they  may  be  varied  and  well  executed.  On  the 
other  hand,  a  speaker  often  shows  a  lack  of  power  by  using 
too  little  gesture,  or  by  using  none  at  all. 


CHAPTER   I.  — CULTIVATION  OF  THE  BODY. 

That  the  student  may  advance  the  more  rapidly  in  acquir- 
ing and  executing  the  principles  of  action  to  be  treated  in 
the  next  chapter,  it  is  necessary  that  he  cultivate  the  body, 
which  is  the  agent  of  action.  Herbert  Spencer,  in  his  excel- 
lent work  on  education,  says:  "We  do  not  yet  sufficiently 
realize  the  truth  that,  as  in  this  life  of  ours,  the  physical 
underlies  the  mental,  the  mental  should  not  be  developed 
at  the  expense  of  the  physical.  The  ancient  and  modern 
conceptions  must  be  combined.  Perhaps  nothing  will  so 
much  hasten  the  time  when  body  and  mind  will  both  be 
adequately  cared  for,  as  a  diffusion  of  the  belief  that  the 
preservation  of  health  is  a  duty.  Few  seem  conscious  that 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  physical  morality." 
Emerson  says,  "The  first  wealth  is  health." 
There  is  nothing  so  universally  desired  as  health;  nothing 
so  necessary  to  vigor  and  grace  of  bodily  movements,  and 
nothing  so  necessary  to  the  availability  of  intellectual  train- 
ing. Success  in  life  depends  quite  as  much  upon  energy 
as  upon  intellectual  attainments,  and  sustained  energy  is 
impossible  without  health.  Moreover,  vigor  and  pliability 
of  muscles  are  necessary  to  the  best  efforts  in  action,  and 
these  conditions  are  the  outcome  of  health;  and  as  delivery, 
of  which  action  is  an  important  part,  is  largely  physical,  the 
best  conditions  of  body  are  necessary  to  the  best  delivery. 


SECTION  I.  — PHYSICAL   EDUCATION. 

As  mental  education  develops,  harmonizes  and  intensi- 
fies the  mental  faculties,  so  physical  education  develops, 
harmonizes  and  strengthens  the  muscles  of  the  body  and 

349 


350  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

places  them  under  the  control  of  the  will.  The  body  once 
under  this  control  is  more  easily  guided  into  the  channels  of 
correct  physical  expression. 

I.    HEALTH,  ENDURANCE,  AND  SYMMETRY  OF  FORM. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  Physical  Education  to  acquire  and 
preserve  health  and  to  develop  power  of  endurance  and 
symmetry  of  form.  To  best  accomplish  these  results  the 
student  should  place  himself  in  charge  of  the  director  of  a 
well-equipped  gymnasium,  who  is  himself  an  anthropologist 
and  a  physician.  He  should  find  out  what  muscles  and 
organs  are  the  weakest,  and  then  practice  diligently  such 
exercises  as  will  best  strengthen  those  parts.  It  often  hap- 
pens that  some  vital  organ  has  been  weakened  by  disease, 
and  it  may  require  long  practice  before  appreciable  strength 
is  gained.  Work  must  be  entered  upon  gradually  and 
carried  on  steadily  and  with  intelligence.  Certainly  those 
exercises  should  be  taken  which  will  best  develop  the  chief 
factors  of  good  health,  the  heart,  the  lungs,  the  digestive 
apparatus  and  the  nervous  system.  Vitality  which  gives  long 
life  is  more  important  than  brawn. 

II.   MUSCULAR  CONTROL  AND  GRACE  OF  MOVEMENT. 

It  is  also  the  purpose  of  Physical  Education  to  develop 
muscular  control  and  grace  for  the  higher  purposes  of 
expression. 

The  muscles  of  the  body  become  unwieldy  by  inaction. 
The  various  exercises  necessary  to  good  health  give  flexi- 
bility to  the  muscles  so  that  they  more  readily  respond  to 
the  will  and  the  feelings.  As  pliability  of  the  muscles  is  a 
prime  requisite  of  grace,  and  as  exercise  is  necessary  to 
pliability,  it  follows  that  the  cultivation  of  the  body  is  neces- 
sary to  muscular  control  and  grace. 


ESTHETIC    PHYSICAL    CULTURE.  351 

SECTION    II.  — AESTHETIC    PHYSICAL   CULTURE. 

^Esthetic  Physical  Culture  differs  from  the  ordinary 
physical  culture  of  the  gymnasium  or  playground  in  that 
it  has  for  its  direct  aim  beauty  and  truth  of  expression.  It 
consists  for  the  most  part,  first,  in  relaxing  exercises  for 
freeing  the  joints  and  muscles  from  undue  tension;  and 
second,  in  the  practice  of  such  movements  as  will  tend 
best  to  utilize  expended  energy. 

The  former  we  call  Relaxation?  the  latter  Vitalization. 

I.   RELAXATION. 

Grace  of  bodily  movement  depends  upon  the  proper  con- 
trol of  nerve  force.  This  force  depends  upon  proper  relaxa- 
tion and  rest.  It  is  impossible  to  draw  continuously  upon 
the  fountain  of  energy  without  opportunity  for  recupera- 
tion. The  struggle  for  position  and  wealth,  the  cease- 
less toil  of  the  student  in  his  investigations,  waste  the 
energies  and  cause  undue  tension  of  the  nerves.  To  the 
conditions  resulting  from  over-expenditure  of  vitality  are 
attributable  most  of  the  ills  we  are  heir  to.  This  necessi- 
tates relaxation  for  the  replenishment  of  vital  force,  as  the 
expenditure  must  not  exceed  the  capital  stock  of  vitality. 
Nature's  great  restorative  is  rest,  and  sleep  — 

"  Sleep  that  knits  up  the  ravell'd  sleave  of  care  ; 
The  death  of  each  day's  life,  sore  labor's  bath, 
Balm  of  hurt  minds,  great  Nature's  second  course, 
Chief  nourisher  in  life's  feast." 

1  The  theory  of  volitional  relaxation  of  the  muscles  of  the  body  preparatory 
to  their  "  revitalization  "  for  healthful  and  graceful  action  is  an  old  theory.  It 
was  used  by  M.  Engel,  the  German  writer  on  action,  whose  work  was  published 
a  century  ago ;  but  not  until  it  was  re-christened  "  devitalization  "  in  the  Delsarte 
terminology,  and  associated  with  the  physical  exercises  of  that  system,  was  it 
extensively  used.  We  have  no  proof  that  Delsarte  used  it  at  all,  —  and,  in  fact, 
his  daughter,  Mdme.  Geraldy,  denies  that  it  was  ever  a  part  of  her  father's  phil- 
osophy ;  though  it  comes  very  directly  to  the  American  public  through  one  of 
Delsarte's  pupils,  Mr.  Steele  Mackaye,  of  New  York.  However,  its  efficacy,  if  used 
with  proper  moderation,  is  so  apparent  that  we  introduce  it  without  hesitancy. 


352  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

But  there  are  those  who  do  not  fully  relax  even  in  sleep. 
The  muscles  are  tense,  the  body  rigid,  the  nerves  unstrung, 
the  mind  troubled  and  the  sleep  broken.  In  such  cases 
nature's  methods  of  relaxation  should  be  assisted  by  volun- 
tary relaxation.  By  will-power  one  may  in  part  at  least 
withdraw  the  tension  from  the  nerves  and  muscles  of  the 
body.  In  this  process  the  nerve  cells  and  the  muscle  fibres 
have  time  for  rest  and  recuperation  which,  in  turn,  are  con- 
ducive to  sleep.  Moreover  this  is  an  excellent  means  of 
freeing  the  muscles  of  the  body  for  actional  purposes. 

I  .    Centers  and  Radii  of  Motion. 

Preparatory  to  the  relaxing  exercises  it  is  necessary  that 
we  call  attention  to  the  centers  and  radii  of  the  limbs.  The 
centers  are  the  joints,  and  the  radii  are  the  sections  between 
the  joints.  Each  center  is  a  pivot  or  a  hinge  for  all  that 
part  of  the  limb  beyond  it,  and  the  muscles  of  the  various 
radii  become  the  direct  motive  power  in  vitalization.  These 
centers  and  radii  are  shown  in  the  following  diagrams  :  — 

Shoulder. 

CENTERS.  1  Elbow' 
Wrist. 

Knuckles. 
ARM. 

f  Upper  Arm. 

RADI,.     J  F™- 
Hand. 

(^  Fingers. 


CENTERS.        Knee. 
Ankle. 
LEG. 

C  Upper  Leg. 
RADII,      -j   Lower  Leg. 
[  Foot. 


AESTHETIC    PHYSICAL    CULTURE.  353 

2.   Relaxing  Exercises. 
(i)  For  the  Hands  and  Arms. 

a.  Withdraw  the  vitality  from  the  muscles  of  the  hands 
and  fingers,  and  shake  them  vigorously;    first  singly,  then 
together. 

b.  Extend    the   arms  laterally  to  a  horizontal  position, 
withdraw  the  energy  from  the  forearms,  and  let  them  hang 
vertically  ;   shake  them  vigorously,  forward  and  backward, 
singly  and  together. 

c.  Withdraw  the  energy  from  the  arms,  letting  them  hang 
lifeless  from  the  shoulders.     Swing  them  from  side  to  side, 
by  twisting  the  torso. 

d.  Raising   the    arms   perpendicularly  above   the   head, 
withdraw  the  energy  in  rapid  succession  from  the  fingers, 
hands,  forearms,  and  arms,  letting  them  fall  heavily,  and  life- 
lessly, to  the  side.     Avoid  the  extremes  of  throwing  them 
down,  and  putting  them  down ;   let  them  return  to  the  side 
by  their  own  weight. 

(2)  For  the  Feet  and  Legs. 

a.  Extend   the   right    foot    forward,    and   withdraw   the 
energy  from    it.     As    it    hangs    from    the    ankle,  shake   it. 
Exercise  the  left  in  a  similar  manner. 

b.  Raise  the  right  knee  forward  toward   the   horizontal 
position.     Withdraw  the   energy  from   the   lower  leg,  and 
shake  it  by  a  slight  action  of  the  muscles  of  the  upper  leg, 
and  by  swaying  the  body  forward  and  backward  on  the  left 
leg.     Exercise  the  left  in  a  similar  manner. 

c.  Poise  on   the  left  foot,  and  withdrawing  the  energy 
from   the   right   thigh,   swing  it  freely  around   the   left  by 
twisting  the  body  at  the  hips.     Exercise  the  left  in  a  similar 
manner.     Tip-toe  on  the  strong  foot,  or  stand  on  a  stool  or 
chair  during  this  exercise. 


354  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

d.  Extend  the  right  leg  forward  at  an  angle  of  45°,  with 
the  muscles  tense,  then,  withdrawing  the  energy  in  rapid 
succession  from  the  foot,  the  lower  leg  and  the  upper  leg, 
let  them  fall  heavily  but  lifelessly.  Exercise  the  left  in  a 
similar  manner.  Avoid  the  extremes  of  throwing  and  put- 
ting down  the  leg ;  let  it  come  down  by  its  own  weight. 

(3)  For  the  Head,  Neck,  and  Torso. 

a.  Close  the  eyes,   relax  the  jaw,   withdraw  the  energy 
from  the  muscles  of  the  neck,  and  allow  the  head  to  fall 
forward  as  in  the  nod  of  sleep  ;    then,  by  swaying  the  trunk, 
let  the  head  roll  in  a  circle  on  the  shoulders. 

b.  Do  the  same,   bending  the  torso    forward,   from   the 
hips,  letting  it  rebound  several  times.     Then  slowly  revitalize 
the  torso,   neck,  jaw,   eyelids,    upper  arms,   forearms,  and 
hands. 

II.     VlTALIZATION. 

Having  given  exercises  for  freeing  the  muscles  from  ten- 
sion, and  putting  them  into  a  state  to  admit  of  an  easy  flow 
of  energy  from  joint  to  joint,  we  subjoin  a  complementary 
series  of  exercises,  in  reversed  order  which,  if  faithfully 
practiced,  will  result  in  grace  and  harmony  of  the  movements 
of  the  body. 

I.    Vitalizing  Exercises. 

(i)  For  the  HeadL  Neck,  and  Torso. 

a.  From  its  normal  position,  move  the  head  forward  until 
the  chin  rests  upon  the  chest.     Return  to  the  normal  posi- 
tion.    Repeat  several  times  vigorously. 

b.  Move  the  head  backward  as  low  as  possible.     Return 
it  to  the  normal  position.     Repeat  several  times.     Alternate 
with  exercise  a. 

c.  Move  the  head  as  far  as  possible  to  the  right,  keep- 
ing the  face  to  the  front.     Return  to  the  normal  position. 
Repeat  several  times. 


ESTHETIC    PHYSICAL    CULTURE.  355 

d.  Move   the  head   to   the   left.     Return   to   the   normal 
position.     Repeat  several  times.     Alternate  with  exercise  c. 

e.  Move  the  head  forward  until  the  chin  rests  on  the 
chest ;    then  thrust  it  to  the  right,  back,  and  left  over  the 
shoulders,    vitalizing    strongly   the    muscles   of    the    neck. 
Retrace  the  circle  by  starting  first  to  the  left.     Repeat  the 
exercise. 

f.  From  the  normal  position  of  the  head,  turn  the  face 
to  the  right.     Return    to   the  normal    position.     Turn    to 
the  left.     Return  to  the  normal  position.     Then  alternate 
the  exercises.     Repeat  several  times. 

g.  With  arms  akimbo  bend  forward  at  the  hips.     Return 
to  the  normal  position.     Repeat  several  times. 

h.  Bend  backward  from  the  hips.  Return  to  the  normal 
position.  Repeat  several  times.  Alternate  with  exercise  £•. 

/".  Bend  to  the  right.  Return  to  the  normal  position. 
Repeat  several  times. 

j.  Bend  to  the  left.  Return  to  the  normal  position. 
Repeat  several  times.  Alternate  with  exercise  /. 

k.  Bend  forward,  then  move  to  the  right,  then  back,  then 
to  the  left,  letting  the  upper  part  of  the  body  describe  a 
circle  from  the  hips.  Retrace  the  circle  by  moving  first  to 
the  left.  Return  to  the  normal  position. 

(2)  For  the  Feet  and  Legs. 

a.  Rise  on  the  toes  from  the  military  position  (heels  on 
a  line  and  the  feet  forming  an  angle  of  about  90°).     Hold 
the  position  a  few    seconds.     Return  to  the  military  posi- 
tion.    Repeat  several  times. 

b.  Raise  the  balls  of  the  feet,  balancing  on   the  heels. 
Hold    the    position   a   moment.       Return    to    the    military 
position.     Repeat  the  exercise,  and  alternate  with  exercise  a. 

c.  Lift  the  right  foot  and  thrust  it  forward  parallel  with 
the  floor.     Return  to  the  military  position.     Repeat  several 
times.     Exercise  the  left  leg  in  a  similar  manner.     Alternate. 


356  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

d.  Thrust  the  right  foot  laterally  to  the  right  parallel  with 
the  floor.     Return  to  the  military  position.     Repeat  several 
times.     Exercise  the  left  in  a  similar  manner.     Alternate. 

e.  Thrust  the  right  backward  full  length  and  let  it  rest 
on  the  toe.     Repeat  several  times.     Exercise  the  left  in  a 
similar  manner.     Alternate. 

(3)  For  the  Hands  and  Arms. 

a.  finger  Movements.       Clasp  the   right   palm  with   the 
thumb  and  fingers  of  the  left  hand,  placing  the  left  thumb 
inside  the  right  palm.     Close  the  fingers  until  the  forefinger 
is  opposite  and  within  one  inch  of  the  thumb,  the  middle 
finger  even  with  the  point  of  the   thumb,    the   ring  finger 
about  one-half  an  inch  yet  further  in,  and  the  little  finger 
still  further  in  toward  the  palm.      Let  there  be  as  nearly 
a  perfect  curve  on  the  outside  of  the  fingers  as  possible. 
Vitalize    by    opening  the   fingers    gradually,   the    forefinger 
leading  the   movement   and   the   others  following  in  close 
succession.     Exercise  the  left  in  a  similar  manner. 

b.  Wrist  Movements.      Grasp   the    right   wrist    with    the 
thumb   and   fingers    of    the    left  hand,   placing   the   thumb 
inside  ;    draw  the  wrist  in,  closing  the  fingers  as  in  exercise 
a.     Let  there  be  a  perfect  curve  on  the  outside  of  the  hand 
and  fingers.      Vitalize  by  first  moving  the  hand  from  the 
wrist  until  it  is  in  line  with  the  forearm,  then  take  up  the 
movement  at  the  first  finger  joints,  and  when  these  radii  are 
nearly  in  line  with  the  hand,  proceed  in  the  same  way  with 
the  next  two  centres  of  the  fingers ;    in  the  meantime,  the 
hand  will  have  proceeded  still  further  until  it  is  depressed 
slightly  at  the  wrist.     That  there  may  be  the  utmost  grace 
in  this  movement,  see  that  the  radii  move  at  the  proper  time 
and  not  in  an  angular  way,  and  that  all  parts  reach  their 
destination  simultaneously  ;    or,  at  least,   so  that  the  time 
between  their  action  is  not  appreciable.     Let  this  be  prac- 


AESTHETIC    PHYSICAL    CULTURE.  357 

tised  with  each  hand  until  they  are  strong,  graceful,  and 
perfectly  under  the  control  of  the  will,  for  much  of  the 
beauty  and  effectiveness  of  gesture  lie  in  the  correct  man- 
agement of  the  hand.  Exercise  the  left  hand  also.  Finally, 
practise  without  holding  the  hands. 

c.  Pivotal  Movements.     Place  the  point  of  the  right  hand 
in  a  horizontal  position  against  the  palm  of  the  left;  using 
the   point   as   a  pivot,  lift  and   lower  the  wrist   alternately 
several  times.     The  movement  will  vary  in  different  indi- 
viduals from  6  to  12  inches.     Exercise  the  left  hand  in  a 
similar  manner.      Then   extending  the   arms    to   their   full 
length,  and  keeping  their  points  in  line  with  some  stationary 
object  move  the  wrists  up  and  down  rapidly. 

d.  Feather  Movements. 

(a)  Vertical  Movement.    Extend  the  arms  parallel  diago- 
nally downward,  letting    the  hands   hang  loosely  from  the 
wrists.      Move   upward   and   downward  through  an  arc  of 
about  120°,  the  arms  at  full  length  and  the  hands  floating 
after  the  wrists.     When  the  change  is  made  at  the  lowest 
and  highest  points  of  the  arc,  the  pivotal  movement  is  intro- 
duced.    Practise  this  with  the  hands  singly,  then  together. 

(b)  Diagonal  Movement.     Place  the  arms  at  an  angle  of 
90°  and  repeat  the  exercise. 

(c)  Lateral  Movement.     Place  the  arms  at  an  angle  of 
1 80°  and  repeat  the  exercise. 

(V/)  Horizontal  Movement  (low).  Place  the  arms  parallel 
as  in  exercise  a ;  let  the  palms  face  each  other  ;  move  them 
outward  and  inward  on  this  plane  through  180°,  letting  the 
hands  float  after  the  wrists. 

(e)  Horizontal  Movement  (medium).  Extend  the  arms 
parallel  and  level  with  the  shoulders,  the  palms  together  ; 
move  them  outward  and  inward  as  before. 

(/)  Horizontal  Movement  (high).  Extend  the  arms  par- 
allel diagonally  upward,  the  palms  together  ;  move  them 
outward  and  inward  as  before. 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


e.  Thread  Movements.  These  exercises  are  designed  to 
teach  the  important  lesson  of  reserving  the  wrist  for  the 
stroke  of  gesture. 

(a)  Diagonal  Movement.      Let  the   hands   meet  a  few 
inches  in  front  of  the  left  hip,  gently  grasp  with  each  thumb 
and  finger  an  imaginary  silken  fibre  ;  then  keeping  the  hands 
turned  toward  each  other  throughout  the  movement,  grad- 
ually separate   the   arms,  the    left    moving   downward   and 
backward,  the  right  upward  and  forward,  spinning  out  the 
thread.      Open   the   hands   at    the   end   of   the   movement. 
During  this   movement   step    forward  with    the  right   foot, 
balancing  the  body  with  the  left.     Stepping  with  the  left 
foot  practice  with  the  hands  on  the  other  side  in  a  similar 
manner.     Repeat  alternately  twice. 

(b)  Horizontal  Movement  (low).     Let  the  hands  meet  in 
front  of  the  hips  and  separate  as  before,  but  horizontally, 
with  no  foot-movements.     Repeat  twice. 

(c)  Horizontal  Movement  (medium).     Let  the  hands  meet 
in  front  of  the   shoulders   and   separate   as   in   exercise  b. 
Repeat  twice. 

(d)  Horizontal  Movement  (high).     Let  the  hands  meet 
above   and   in  front  of  the   head   and   separate   as  before. 
Repeat  twice. 

/.  Serpentine  Movements.  These  are  designed  for  general 
flexibility  of  all  parts  of  the  arm  and  hand. 

(a)  Forward  Movement.  From  their  position  of  rest 
extend  the  arms  parallel,  with  palms  down  and  hands  hang- 
ing loosely,  to  a  level  with  the  shoulders  ;  depress  the  wrists  ; 
twist  the  arms  until  the  hands  point  down  ;  move  the  hands 
parallel  upward  and  backward  until  their  tips  touch  the 
shoulders  ;  raise  the  elbows  laterally  to  a  horizontal  posi- 
tion ;  turn  the  palms  forward  ;  push  them  forward  in  that 
position  to  the  full  length  of  the  arms  ;  bring  them  to  rest 
Repeat. 


ESTHETIC    PHYSICAL    CULTURE.  359 

Learn  to  practise  this  exercise  rapidly. 

(b)  Lateral  Movement.     From  their  position  of  rest  ex- 
tend the  arms  laterally  to  the  horizontal  position,  letting  the 
hands  hang  loosely;  depress  the  wrists  ;  twist  the  arms  until 
the  hands  point  down  ;  move  the  hands  in  until  their  tips 
rest  on  the  shoulders  ;    raise  the  elbows  laterally  without 
moving  the  hands  from  the  shoulders  ;  turn  the  palms  out- 
ward ;   push  them  outward  laterally  the  full  length  of  the 
arms  ;  bring  them  to  rest.     Repeat. 

(c)  Infinity  Movement.    Let  the  right  hand  start  with  the 
right  arrow  in  Fig.  i  and  move  twice  around  in  the  direction 
indicated.     The  inside    of   the          ja*^-^.  «•* 
wrist  should  lead  to  the  farthest        ./""       "... 


extremity  to  the  left,  the  outside        i 

of  the  wrist  throughout  the  re-  > •-" 

mainder   of  the  figure.      Start  Tlg'  lt 

the  left  hand  at  the  left  arrow  and  move  in  a  similar  man- 
ner. Start  them  together,  crossing  the  arms  in  front  of  the 
body.  Move  twice  around  in  each  exercise. 

g.    Supine  Movements. 

These  are  designed  to  exercise  both  the  arms  and  the  legs. 

(a)  Downward  Movement. 

Extend  both  hands,  palms  up,  diagonally  to  the  right  as 
high  as  the  hips.  In  making  this  movement  energize  first  the 
upper  arms,  then  the  forearms,  then  the  hands  and  the  fingers. 
Take  a  good  step  forward  as  this  movement  progresses, 
carry  the  weight  to  the  right,  and  balance  the  body  with  the 
left.  In  a  similar  manner  step  forward  with  the  left  foot, 
and  move  the  arms  diagonally  to  the  left.  Alternate  twice. 
Learn  to  change  rapidly  and  with  ease. 

(fi)   Horizontal  Movement. 

Repeat  the  preceding  exercise  with  the  hands  level  with 
the  shoulders.  Alternate  twice. 


360  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

(V)   Elevated  Movement. 

Repeat  as  before  with  the  hands  above  and  in  front  of 
the  head.  Alternate  twice. 

h.    Prone  Movements. 

(a)  Downward  Movement. 

Practice  as  in  the  first  supine  movement,  except  that  the 
palms  are  down.  Alternate  from  right  to  left  twice. 

(//)   Horizontal  Movement. 

The  same  as  the  preceding  exercise  with  the  arms  level 
with  the  shoulders.  Alternate  twice. 

(c)  Elevated  Movement. 

The  same  as  the  preceding,  with  the  arms  above  -and  in 
front  of  the  head.  Alternate  twice. 

(d)  Swaying  Movement. 

From  the  final  position  in  exercise  (c)  sway  the  body  to 
the  right,  at  the  same  time  stepping  a  good  step  forward 
diagonally  to  the  right.  Let  the  arms  be  nearly  parallel  and 
the  palms  down.  In  this  movement  the  right  hand  leads 
and  stops  about  one  foot  in  advance  of  the  left.  Sway  the 
body  to  the  left  in  a  similar  manner,  the  left  hand  and  the 
left  foot  leading.  Repeat  twice. 

/.    Rotary  Movements. 

Designed  for  flexibility  of  the  wrists. 

(a)  Outward  Movement. 

Extend  the  arms  to  their  full  length  in  front  of  the 
shoulders,  the  palms  down.  Without  twisting  the  forearm, 
move  the  hands  upward  and  outward,  describing  as  great 
a  circle  as  possible  from  the  wrists  as  a  centre.  Use 
no  finger  movement.  A  very  slight  forearm  movement 
will  add  beauty  to  this  exercise.  Make  the  circle  eight 
times. 

(ti)  Inward  Movement.  Retrace  the  outward  circle  of 
the  preceding  exercise  eight  times  rapidly. 


AESTHETIC    PHYSICAL    CULTURE.  361 

j.    Shaking  Movements. 

These  exercises  are  designed  to  energize  the  forearm, 
free  the  hands  and  fingers,  and  give  strength  to  the  wrist. 

(a)  Horizontal  Movement.     Let  the  elbows  rest  by  the 
sides,  raise  the  forearms  to  a  level,  the  palms  facing  each 
other,  and  then  shake  them  horizontally. 

(b)  Vertical  Movement.      Place  the  forearm  as  before 
with  the  palms  down;  shake  them  vertically.     Try  the  same 
with  the  edges  of  the  hands  down. 

k.    Thrust  Movements. 

These  are  for  the  more  vigorous  vitalization  of  the  hand, 
wrist  and  forearm  muscles,  approaching  more  nearly  to  free 
gymnastics. 

(a)  Clench  the  fists  tightly  as  the  arms  hang  at  the  sides, 
then  thrust  open  the  hands  vigorously  with  the  fingers  apart ; 
do  this  eight  times.     Do  the  same  laterally  (eight  counts) 
with  the  arms  projected  straight  and  level  with  the  shoulders  ; 
then  parallel  in  front,  same  height ;  and  then  vertically. 

(b)  With  the  hands  in  this  vertical  position  and  the  palms 
front,  hold  the  hands  stiffly  and  thrust  them  forward  with  a 
vigorous  wrist  stroke  (eight  counts);  do  the  same  with  arms 
projected  front  as  before ;   then  laterally  ;  and  finally  with 
the  arms   at   the    sides  and  a  little  away  from  the  body 
strike  them  inward  and  upward  vigorously. 


CHAPTER    II.  — PRINCIPLES    OF    ACTION. 

We  have  seen  that  all  correct  expression  must  conform  to 
law  and  that  all  wrong  expression  is  a  violation  of  law.  Our 
definition  of  Elocution  (p.  i)  shows  that  there  are  two  chan- 
nels through  which  all  the  different  states  of  the  psychic 
being  may  be  expressed ;  these  are  Voice  and  Action.  As 
the  excellencies  and  faults  of  speech  may  be  determined 
by  a  knowledge  of  vocal  principles,  so  correct  and  in- 
correct gesture  or  attitude  may  be  detected  by  the 
study  of  the  underlying  principles  or  laws  which  govern 
Action. 

In  treating  this  subject  we  turn  to  the  pages  of  Delsarte, 
the  master-teacher  of  Action,  and  embody  the  main  prin- 
ciples of  his  philosophy,  guided,  as  best  we  may  be,  by  the 
available  publications  and  teachings  of  his  pupils  and  repre- 
sentatives. Nor  shall  we  exclude  the  time-honored  truths 
and  teachings  of  that  older  system  of  action  recorded  in  the 
voluminous  pages  of  Dr.  Gilbert  Austin's  "Chironomia." 
It  will  be  seen  that  space  will  not  allow  an  exhaustive 
treatment  of  Austin  or  Delsarte  in  this  volume.  Our  plan 
is  to  give  general  laws  and  outlines  for  safe  guidance,  leav- 
ing the  fuller  explanation  and  elaboration  to  the  individual 
teacher  or  student. 

For  an  orderly  subdivision  of  our  subject  we  will  consider 
first  the  Zones,  Positions  and  Attitudes  of  the  body,  and  then 
its  Inflections  or  Movements. 

The  Zones  of  the  body  or  any  of  its  members  are  those 
sections  or  divisions  which  correspond  to  man's  triune  na- 
ture. These  represent  the  inherent  expression  and  furnish 
the  key  to  the  right  use  of  any  given  agent  of  action.  The 
Positions  and  Attitudes  of  the  body  or  any  of  its  mem- 
362 


ZONES,    POSITIONS.  AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.         363 

bers  represent  that  agent  held  at  rest,  but  manifesting  its 
Mental,  Emotive,1  and  Vital  Zones  in  expression. 

The  Inflections  or  Movements  of  the  body  or  any  of  its 
members  show  the  transition  of  Zones  from  one  Position 
or  Attitude  to  another  in  expression.  In  other  words  the 
Inflections  of  the  body  are  its  gestures:  these  will  be 
touched  upon  only  incidentally  in  this  section. 

In  painting  or  sculpture  the  artist's  skill  is  limited  to  the 
Zones,  Positions  and  Attitudes  ;  but  in  the  realm  of  actional 
expression  the  actor  or  orator  adds  Movements,  and  presents 
a  great  many  living  pictures  and  statues  in  a  single  poem 
or  speech. 


SECTION   L  —  ZONES,   POSITIONS    AND   ATTITUDES 
OF   THE   BODY. 

The  body  as  an  expressive  agent  responding  to  the 
psychic  states  must  correspond  to  man's  three  natures,  as 
explained  in  Chapter  I  of  Part  I  (p.  8).  Here  we  may 
accept  Delsarte's  threefold  division  of  the  body  and  their 
correspondence  as  follows: 


......  ________  Head, 

MAN  ^-:'.'_'.  .....  _III.  EMOTIVE...  ...Torso.         '"--.„      BODY 

(a  Psychic  --...,  ;;,:-    (an       t  of 

Being)  "--I.ViTAL  .....  .  ...............  .Limbs--''  action) 

The  Head,  which  contains  that  wonderful  mental  organ, 
the  brain,  is  the  seat  of  the  mind,  and  consequently  it 
belongs  chiefly  to  the  Mental  nature.  The  Torso,  contain- 
ing the  heart,  which  is  popularly  recognized  as  the  seat  of 
the  affections  or  emotions,  is  assigned  to  the  Emotive  nature. 
The  Limbs  (arms  and  legs),  which  are  the  most  muscular 

1  In  this  subject  as  in  the  treatment  of  the  vocal  principles  we  retain  the  word 
Emotive  in  place  of  Moral,  which  is  used  generically  in  the  Delsarte  terminology. 
See  p.  8. 


364  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

portions  of  the  body,  are  the  active  agents  of  physical  exer- 
tion, and  their  activity  represents  the  condition,  and  is  the 
manifestation  of  the  Vital  nature. 

The  little  movements  of  the  head,  such  as  the  nod  or 
shake,  the  glance  of  the  eye,  and  the  articulative  move- 
ments of  the  lips,  are  Mental  in  their  significance.  The 
writhing,  twisting,  swaying  and  bending  movements  of  the 
torso  manifest  the  stronger  workings  of  the  Emotive  nature. 
Walking,  running,  dancing,  working,  fighting,  etc.,  show  the 
stronger  activities  of  the  Vital  nature. 

The  above  may  be  considered  the  generic  divisions  of  the 
body  which  yield  to  further  differentiation,  as  follows  : 

I.    THE  HEAD. 

This  Mental  division  of  the  body  also  represents  the 
Emotive  and  Vital  natures,  but  as  a  whole  the  Mental  leads. 
For  the  sake  of  convenience,  we  will  consider,  first,  the 
brain,  and  then  the  face. 

i.    The  Brain. 

Anatomists  divide  the  brain  into  three  divisions :  the 
cerebrum,  the  cerebellum,  and  the  medulla  oblongata  and  its 
associated  organs,  which,  according  to  Delsarte,  correspond 
to  the  Mental,  Emotive  and  Vital  natures,  respectively. 

(i)    The  Cerebrum. 

This  is  the  largest  division  of  the  human  brain.  It  occu- 
pies chiefly  the  forehead  and  upper  part  of  the  head,  but  its 
folds  overlap  portions  of  the  back  part  of  the  brain.  This 
is  generally  conceded  to  be  the  organ  of  the  mind,  directing 
the  perception,  memory,  imagination  and  reason,  as  shown  in 
our  psychic  pentarchy  (p.  10),  and  consequently  it  belongs 
to  the  Mental  division. 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.        365 

(2)   The  Cerebellum. 

The  cerebellum,  next  in  size,  lies  under  the  folds  of  the 
cerebrum,  and  occupies  chiefly  the  upper  and  back  part  of 
the  head.  This  division  of  the  brain  presides  over  the  affec- 
tional,  social  and  spiritual  attributes,  and  is  the  especial 
impelling  power  of  the  Emotive  nature. 

(3)   The  Medulla  Oblongata. 

This  section  of  the  brain  is  situated  at  the  base  of  the 
skull,  where  the  spinal  cord  enters  the  cavity  of  the  cranium, 
and  extends  upward  to  the  folds  of  the  cerebellum.  It  is 
the  smallest  division  of  the  brain,  and  is  buried  deeply 
under  the  remaining  mass.  According  to  physiologists  it 
controls,  respiration  and  circulation,  and  presides  generally 
over  the  vital  functions  of  the  body  ;  hence  it  belongs  to  the 
Vital  division  of  man's  triune  nature. 

From  the  above  it  will.be  seen  that  the  divisions  of  the 
brain  so  merge  into  and  overlap  each  other  that  any  ex- 
ternal lines,  like  those  ascribed  to  Delsarte,  dividing  the 
cranium  into  its  Mental,  Emotive  and  Vital  sections  or 
zones  for  the  arrival  and  departure  of  gesture  must  be 
purely  dogmatic.  It  is  an  interesting  fact,  however,  to 
know  that  a  predominance  of  any  one  of  these  three  divi- 
sions of  the  brain,  at  the  expense  of  the  other  two,  gives  a 
corresponding  shape  to  the  head  and  stamps  the  predomi- 
nant characteristics  of  the  individual ;  but  it  is  evident  that 
an  extended  treatment  of  this  phase  of  our  subject,  would 
lead  us  into  the  realm  of  physiognomy  or  even  into  the 
more  uncertain  territory  of  phrenology. 

2.    The  Face. 

No  Agent  of  Action  is  more  active  and  effectual  in  ex- 
pression than  the  face.  It  is  turned  toward  the  audience, 
and  its  controlling  power  supersedes  all  gesture  and  atti- 


366  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

tude.  Perhaps  because  it  is  not  seen  by  the  speaker  him- 
self, and  he  is  less  conscious  of  its  expression  than  of  that 
of  his  hands,  arms,  or  feet,  it  usually  responds  more  truth- 
fully than  any  other  agent  to  the  psychic  state  ;  but,  on  the 
other  hand,  an  exaggeration  or  contortion  of  facial  move- 
ments is  one  of  the  most  serious  defects  in  expression. 

Delsarte  divides  the  face  into  three  zones  and  gives  their 
correspondences  as  follows  :  "  The  forehead  and  eye  are 
Mental  ;  the  nose  and  cheek  are  Moral  (Emotive) ;  the 
mouth  and  chin  are  Vital."  Here  again  we  would  say  that 
the  lines  are  drawn  too  exactly  and  that  the  pivotal  points 
(p.  13),  upon  which  the  three  natures  shade  and  blend  one 
into  another  are  lost  sight  of.  To  our  mind  this  theory 
of  pivotal  points  is  the  key  that  will  unlock  many  of  the 
hidden  beauties  which  dogmatic  lines  have  heretofore  con- 
cealed. 

The  actual  working  out  of  the  above  classification  has  led 
many  of  those  who  essay  to  follow  Delsarte  into  conflicting 
statements.  Those  who  have  published  books  on  this, 
subject  have  drawn  the  lines  variously,  some  even  placing 
the  eye  and  others  the  mouth  in  the  Emotive  division. 
The  eyeball  as  a  passive  organ  of  vision  admitting  the  rays 
of  light  to  the  retina,  is  Mental ;  but  all  must  yield  the 
point  that  the  eye  as  an  expressive  agent,  surrounded  by 
lids  and  surmounted  by  brow  is  quite  as  responsive  to  the 
Emotive  nature  as  to  the  Mental.  The  eyes  weep  or  beam 
with  gladness,  as  well  as  see.  The  mouth,  too,  is  quite  as 
Emotive  as  Vital ;  it  cries  and  laughs,  as  well  as  bites, 
masticates  and  articulates.  Then  let  us  make  these  the 
pivotal  points  upon  which  the  three  natures  turn,  respond- 
ing about  equally  to  the  two  natures  which  each  represents. 

As  more  distinct  zones  the  forehead  is  Mental,  the  nose 
and  cheek  are  Emotive  and  the  chin  and  jaw  are  Vital. 

Figure  2  and  the  diagram  following  will  summarize  the 
foregoing  statements  :  — 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.        367 


(i)   The  Forehead. 

This  is  the  distinctive  Mental  zone  of  the  face.  It  is  a 
recognized  fact  that  a  high,  broad,  symetrically-shaped  fore- 
head indicates  intellectuality.  The  larger  portion  of  the 


Fig.  2. 


MAN    ,'_-_'.'. 

(a  Psychic  ~x-.^ 


.  MENTAL.  «;-- 


.  JILEiwoTivE^r 


.Forehead. 


>Eye. 


..Nose  and  Cheek. 


>      FACE 
(an  agent  of 
action) 


----.Chin  and 


cerebrum,  which,  we  have  seen,  is  the  Mental  section  of  the 
brain,  is  located  in  the  upper  and  front  part  of  the  cranium, 
and  its  size  is  popularly  judged  by  the  appearance  of  the 
forehead. 

While  we  cannot  change  the  shape  of  the  forehead  for 
purposes  of  expression,  we  can  emphasize  or  conceal  this 
zone  by  the  way  in  which  the  hair  is  worn,  thus  materially 
changing  the  appearance  of  the  speaker.  The  point  of 


368  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

practical  application  of  the  above  statements  lies  in  the 
fact  that  gesture  arriving  at  or  departing  from  this  zone 
indicates  mental  activity  and  appeals  to  the  intellect  of  the 
audience. 

(2)   The  Eyes. 

As  an  expressive  agent  the  eye  includes  the  eyeball,  which 
is  passive  in  its  nature,  and  the  surrounding  muscular  parts, 
such  as  t\ie\jBrow,  Upper  and  Lower  Lids,  and  the  eye 
muscles,  which  constitute  its  active  functions. 

Of  the  passive  eyeball,  according  to  Delsarte,  the  Pupil 
is  Mental,  the  Iris  is  Emotive,  and  the  White  of  the  eye  is 
Vital.  The  pupil  admits  the  rays  of  light  to  the  retina, 
and  the  optic  nerve  conveys  impressions  to  the  brain.  We 
speak  of  a  person  of  great  mental  strength  as  "clear- 
sighted," "far-seeing,"  etc. 

The  Iris,  or  colored  circle  surrounding  the  pupil,  presents 
a  mixture  of  tints,  the  effect  of  which  may  be  black,  blue, 
brown,  gray,  hazel,  etc.  This  is  the  most  distinguishing 
characteristic  of  the  passive  eye;  in  describing  the  appear- 
ance of  a  person,  we  usually  speak  of  the  color  of  the  eye. 
This  is  the  part  to  which  the  enthusiastic  lover  indites  his 
poem ;  and  in  some  way  it  is  universally  associated  with 
the  Emotive  nature. 

The  White  of  the  eye  is  the  part  to  which  the  muscles 
that  move  the  eye  are  attached.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the 
Vital  is' the  servant  of  the  other  natures;  the  mind  wills  to 
see  an  object  or  a  landscape,  and  the  vital  muscles  attached 
to  the  white  of  the  eye  obey  and  turn  the  Mental  pupil, 
camera-like,  toward  the  object  or  landscape,  which  in  turn 
is  photographed  upon  the  "  sensitive  plate  "  of  the  retina. 
Quick,  vigorous  movements  of  these  muscles,  flashing  the 
eye  to  right  and  left,  portray  emotions  supported  by  great 
Vital  activity.  Opening  wide  the  eyelids,  exposing  an 
unusual  amount  of  the  white  of  the  eyeball,  gives  an  ex- 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.         369 

pression  of  violence,  which  offers  physical  menace ;  while  a 
partial  closure  of  the  lids,  particularly  the  upper  lids,  con- 
cealing the  white,  gives  a  dreamy,  sleepy,  devitalized  effect. 

We  may  here  simplify  and  make  more  practical  the  numer- 
ous "  attitudes  "  of  the  eyeball  given  in  Delsarte's  chart  by 
calling  attention  to  the  law  that  the  face,  in  different  degrees, 
and  the  eyes  turn  toward  the  object  referred  to  and  seek 
the  external  plane  significant  of  the  emotion  expressed. 
These  planes  will  be  fully  treated  in  Section  II.  of  this 
chapter. 

Of  the  active  muscular  parts  organized  about  the  eyeball 
Delsarte  gives  the  Brow  as  Mental,  the  Upper-lid  as  Emo- 
tive and  the  Lower-lid  as  Vital.  Broadly  speaking,  we 
may  accept  this  classification,  but  let  us  not  lose  sight  of 
that  harmonious  over-lapping  and  blending  of  zones  which 
transcends  all  lines  of  demarkation. 

^The  changeful  expressions  of  the  Mental  Brow  are  made 
by  the  action  of  those  underlying  muscles  known  as  the 
corrugators.  These  muscles  respond,  also,  to  the  Emotive 
and  Vital  states,  but  their  movements  are  generally  most 
significant  of  Mental  action.  According  to  Delsarte  the 
Brows  depressed  and  lowered  in  different  degrees  express 
calm  reflection,  full  mental  force,  pain,  agony,  mental  despair, 
fury,  madness,  etc.  ;  raised,  they  express  excitement  of  mind, 
imagination,  anticipation,  anxiety,  etc. 

The  Upper  Eyelids  are  raised  in  different  degrees  to 
indicate  attention,  animation,  intense  thought,  exultation,  mad- 
ness, etc.,  and  they  are  correspondingly  lowered  to  express 
indifference,  passional  tendencies,  prostration,  insensibility,  sleep, 
etc. ;  The  Lower  Eyelids  raised,  express  sensitiveness  to 
pain  or  pleasure  ;  depressed,  they  indicate  insensibility  to 
vital  forces,  fainting,  death,  etc.  Excessive  weeping,  loss 
of  sleep,  dissipation,  or  overtaxing  of  the  vital  powers 
usually  shows  itself  in  the  appearance  of  the  lower  lids  and 
the  adjacent  parts  below. 

f   V   OF  THE 

((    UN\V 


3/O  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

(3)   The  Nose  and  Cheeks. 

These  plainly  belong  to  the  Emotive  zone.  The  lower 
and  more  muscular  part  of  the  Nose  is  the  most  active  in 
expression.  The  nostrils  contracted,  indicate  cruelty,  exag- 
geration, moral  insensibility ;  contracted  and  raised,  produc- 
ing nasality  (p.  107),  they  show  contempt,  irony,  sneer,  etc.  ; 
dilated,  they  express  excitement,  strong  emotion  or  passion. 
Different  types  of  noses  reveal  different  characteristics  of 
individuals  and  peoples.  For  an  interesting  study  along 
these  lines  the  student  is  referred  to  the  engrossing  pages 
of  the  Italian  Anthropologist  Paolo  Mantegazza.1 

The  blood  rushing  to  the  Cheeks,  covering  them  over 
with  blushes,  or  receding,  leaving  them  "blanched  with 
fear,"  are,  beyond  doubt,  manifestations  of  the  Emotive 
nature. 

(4)   The  Mouth. 

We  have  classified  the  Mouth  as  a  pivotal  point,  respond- 
ing alike  to  the  Emotive  and  Vital  natures.  While  Delsarte 
assigns  the  Mouth  to  the  Vital  division,  the  treatment  of  its 
expressions,  according  to  Geniveve  Stebbins2  and  others, 
shows  a  greater  response  to  the  Emotive  and  Mental  natures. 
True,  it  is  an  active  agent  of  the  Mental  nature,  articulating 
our  thoughts  into  mental  language  ;  but  the  mere  process 
of  articulation,  calling  into  play  the  muscular  movements  of 
the  lips,  tongue  and  jaws,  is  a  Vital  function.  To  add  the 
weight  of  other  authority,  Mantegazza  says  :  "If  the  eye  is 
the  most  expressive  part  of  the  face,  the  mouth  is  the  most 
sympathetic.  The  yearnings  of  love  and  passion  converge 
here."  "The  soul  dwells  in  the  mouth,"  says  Tommaseo  ; 
and  Lavater  observes  :  "  The  mouth  is  the  interpreter  and 
organ  of  the  mind  and  of  the  heart.  In  repose,  as  in  the 
infinite  variety  of  its  movements,  it  unites  a  world  of  char- 

1  "  Physiognomy  and  Expression,"  Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

2  See  "Delsarte  System  of  Expression,"  p.  161-164,  E-  S.  Werner,  N.  Y. 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.         3/1 

acters.  It  is  eloquent  even  in  silence."  Austin,1  in  poetic 
strain,  says  :  "  The  mouth  is  the  seat  of  grace  and  sweet- 
ness ;  smiles  and  good  temper  play  around  it ;  composure 
calms  it,  and  discretion  keeps  the  door  of  its  lips."  It 
would  seem  that  our  classification  of  this  organ  of  expres- 
sion places  us  at  least  upon  safe  ground. 

The  action  of  the  mouth  is  controlled  chiefly  by  a  cir- 
cular muscle  which  completely  surrounds  it,  and  ten  other 
muscles  which  emanate  from  different  parts  of  the  face  and 
converge  toward  the  mouth.  By  the  action  of  these  mus- 
cles we  have  a  great  variety  of  expressions,  such  as  the 
sneer,  the  laugh,  the  cry,  the  kiss,  close-lipped  firmness,  and 
open-mouthed  horror.  Briefly  stated,  Delsarte's  Chart  gives 
the  following : 

Lips  closely  shut •=  firmness. 

"  completely  apart =  astonishment. 

"  slightly  apart,  corners  of  mouth  depressed  =  grief. 
"          "  "  "  "        raised        =j°y- 

"  completely "  "  "        depressed  =  horror. 

"          "  "  "  "        raised        =  hilarity. 

"  closely  shut,  "  "        depressed  =  discontent, 

"          "  "  "  "        raised        =  approval. 

(5)  The  Chin  and  Lower  Jaw. 

The  muscular  movements  of  these  parts  are  most  active 
in  mastication  and  articulation,  and  they  manifestly  belong 
to  the  Vital  division.  Chins  of  different  moulds  character- 
ize different  individuals,  but  in  their  interpretation  physi- 
ognomists differ  greatly.  Perhaps  Lavater  strikes  a  basic 
law  when  he  says,  "A  prominent  chin  always  denotes  some- 
thing/^///?^, while  the  receding  has  always  a  negative  signifi- 
cation." The  muscles  controlling  the  movable  surfaces  of 
the  chin  are  clearly  associated  with  those  of  the  under  lip, 
and  their  expressions  correspond.  The  premonitory  quiver- 
ing of  the  lower  lip  and  chin  is  observable  in  a  child  when 

1 "  The  Chironomia,"  p.  122  (Published  in  1806). 


372  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

he  is  about  to  burst  out  crying ;  while  the  hard,  smooth, 
tightly-drawn  chin  shows  great  determination. 

A  prominent  Lower  Jaw  gives  the  impression"  of  vital 
energy,  strength  and  determination.  Miss  Stebbins  says, 
"  The  jaw  slightly  dropped  expresses  suspension  of  energy 
in  force  ;  entirely  dropped,  paralysis  of  energy  in  force  ;  and 
brought  rigidly  up  and  forward,  exaltation  of  energy  in 
force." 

Perhaps  the  most  practical  lesson  of  this  cursory  survey 
of  the  face  and  its  expressions  is,  that  by  these  few  princi- 
ples we  may  recognize  those  facial  habits  which  often  grow 
into  facial  contortions.  The  remedy  for  such  faults  is 
suggested  in  the  right  use  of  facial  muscles  in  correct 
expression.  This  may  be  accomplished  largely  through 
the  cultivation  of  the  higher  sensibilities.  As  we  exercise 
our  Emotive  natures  in  moral  or  immoral  channels,  develop 
the  good  or  evil  of  our  characters,  and  live  lives  of  purity 
or  vice,  so  will  the  lines  of  nature's  never-failing  stamp 
come  into  our  faces.  With  old  age,  wrinkles  must  come, 
but  it  lies  in  our  power  to  make  them  the  insignia  of  truth, 
virtue,  and  benevolence. 

II.   THE  TORSO. 

Delsarte's  generic  classification  of  the  Torso,  as  Emotive, 
yields  to  the  following  specific  subdivision  : 

__.I  I.  MENTAL. Upper... 

MAN  ^-_:::I'_—_- IH.EMOTIVJL Middle.....'.'.'::.'.-...     TORSO 

(a  Psychic  "*---..  ,--""  (an  agent  of 

Being)  '"--J.ViTAi .Lower--'  action) 

As  zones  for  the  arrival  and  departure  of  gesture,  the 
truth  of  this  classification  is  at  once  apparent.  In  a  subse- 
quent chapter  on  the  Technique  of  Action  we  shall  also  see 
the  expression  of  these  zones  through  their  inflections  or 
movements. 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.        3/3 

I.    The  Upper  Torso. 

This  zone  of  the  thorax  contains  the  major  portion  of 
the  lungs  —  that  laboratory  to  which  the  blood  comes  for 
its  supply  of  oxygen,  which  in  turn  is  carried  as  a  mes- 
sage of  life  to  every  part  of  the  body.  It  is  regarded  in 
expression  as  the  seat  of  honor,  conscience,  self-respect,  philan- 
throphy,  patriotism,  etc.  "  Hold  up  your  head,"  means 
to  raise  and  expand  the  chest,  to  have  respect  for  one's  self 
by  emphasizing  the  Mental  part  of  the  torso,  which  gives 
one  a  manly  or  womanly  bearing  among  his  fellow-beings. 
A  depressed,  hollow  chest  indicates  exhaustion,  feebleness, 
intoxication,  depression,  humility,  etc. 

2.    The  Middle  Torso. 

This  section,  containing  the  heart,  is  universally  recog- 
nized as  the  Emotive  centre  of  the  torso.  It  gives  the 
throb  to  the  pulse,  impelling  "  the  life-giving  fluid  through- 
out the  body,  as  love  feeds,  governs,  and  directs  our  being." 
In  any  strong  excitement  or  emotion  the  heart  beats  at  a 
quicker  rate;  and  thrills  of  joy  or  throbs  of  sorrow  are  the 
inevitable  signs  of  this  inward  monitor  of  the  soul. 

This  is  evidently  the  seat  of  the  affections  and  the  deeper 
emotions.  There  is  no  mistaking  the  significance  of  the 
following  phrases:  —  "A  joyous  heart,"  "A  heart  full  of 
love,"  "A  sad  heart,"  "  It  will  break  my  heart,"  "Then 
burst  his  mighty  heart,"  etc.  The  expressive  actions  of 
all  peoples  in  all  countries  testify  that  gestures  arriving  at 
or  departing  from  this  zone  are  Emotive  in  significance. 

3.    The  Lower  Torso. 

The  Lower  or  abdominal  torso  contains  the  stomach, 
liver  and  intestines,  and  is  properly  ranked  as  the  seat  of 
the  appetites,  physical  instincts  and  lower  passions.  It 
corresponds  to  the  Vital  division.  "Gird  up  now  thy  loins 


374  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION 

like  a  man."  — Job  xxxviii.,  3.  "  She  girdeth  her  loins  with 
strength." — Prov.  xxxi.,  17.  Any  extension  or  emphasis 
in  the  bearing  of  this  zone  gives  an  unrefined,  gross,  vulgar 
appearance  to  the  torso;  and  gestures  arriving  at  or  depart- 
ing from  this  zone  partake  of  the  same  significance. 

We  have  seen  (p.  24)  that  the  action  of  the  abdominal  muscles 
is  called  into  play  in  the  forced  expiration  necessary  to  strong 
utterance.  Delsarte's  classification  of  this  as  the  Vital  part  of  the 
torso  would  seem  an  added  proof  of  the  efficacy  of  abdominal 
breathing  (p.  31)  as  t\\z  projective  part  of  vocalization. 

III.    THE   LIMBS. 

This  Vital  division  of  the  body  includes  the  Arms  and  the 
Legs  in  which  are  located  some  of  the  largest  and  strongest 
muscles  of  the  body.  As  agents  of  gesture  and  attitude 
these  are  further  subdivided  into  their  expressive  zones. 
We  will  consider  : 

i.    The  Arms. 

Delsarte  gives  the  zonal  correspondences  of  the  arms  as 
follows :  — 

^..11.  MENTAL. _ _Hand, 

MAN   <-:--'-' IILEM.cmvE. Forearm "V. V.-.>       ARM 

(a  Psychic  "~-..  .---'"   (an  agent  of 

Being)  ""-iViTAi __Upper  Arm.--'  action) 

We  trust  that  the  truth  and  utility  of  these  correspond 
ences  will  be  seen  in  the  treatment  which  follows. 

(i)   The  Hand.  —  Its  Positions  and  Attitudes. 

The  Rev.  Gilbert  Austin  in  his  "Chironomia"  begins  the 
chapter  on  the  hand  thus  :  "  The  positions  and  motions  of  the 
hand  are  so  numerous,  and  may  be  so  exceedingly  varied  by 
minute  changes,  that  it  would  perhaps  prove  impossible  and  would 
certainly  be  a  very  useless  labor  to  attempt  to  describe  them  all." 
He  then  proceeds  to  enumerate  and  illustrate  some  of  the  "  posi- 
tions of  the  hands  used  by  ancient  orators,"  as  described  by 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.        375 

Quintilian,  which  as  a  record  of  facts  in  the  history  of  human 
expression  is  interesting  and  valuable.  But  more  modern  thought 
demands  the  discovery  and  mastery  of  the  general  laws  under- 
lying and  governing  those  numerous  expressions  of  the  hands, 
while  their  "  exceedingly  varied  "  movements  must  be  left  to  the 
individuality  of  the  speaker. 

While  the  Hand  like  any  single  agent  of  action  or  voice 
responds  to  all  three  of  our  psychic  states,  it  is  most  signi- 
ficant of  one,  and  that  is  the  Mental  nature.  We  write  and 
draw  pictures  with  the  hand  ;  it  points  out  objects  seen  by 
the  eye.  We  enumerate  upon  the  fingers.  Deaf  and  dumb 
people  talk  with  the  hands.  The  mental  act  of  touching 
the  keys  of  a  musical  instrument  is  performed  by  the  hands. 
In  man,  the  most  Mental  of  animals,  this  Mental  agent  is 
most  delicately  differentiated  and  articulated,  giving  the 
greatest  mobility  and  skill  in  its  use.  "Animals  would  have 
been  men  had  they  had  hands,"  exclaimed  the  ancient  Greek 
philosopher  Anaxagorus. 

To  continue  this  zonal  subdivision,  we  may  say  broadly 
that  the  ends  of  the  fingers  to  the  knuckles  or  second  joints 
are  the  most  Mental  part  of  the  hands  ;  from  the  knuckles 
to  the  third  joints,  the  section  upon  which  the  ring  is  worn, 
the  most  Emotive ;  and  the  thick  part  of  the  hand,  contain- 
ing the  stronger  muscles,  with  which  we  grasp  larger  objects 
and  exert  greater  force,  the  most  Vital.  These  facts  are 
significant  in  expression.  A  gesture  lacking  finger-move- 
ment lacks  mentality  ;  while  a  mere  movement  of  the  fingers 
without  the  stronger  action  of  the  thick  part  of  the  hand 
shows  a  low  degree  of  inherent  or  exerted  vitality. 

Professor  Brown  has  given  a  half  dozen  most  interesting 
pages *  showing  that  the  Palm  is  Emotive,  the  Thumb  which 
is  the  largest  and  most  muscular  of  the  digits  is  Vital,  the 
Forefinger  which  points  out  objects  is  Mental,  the  Middle 

1  "  Synthetic  Philosophy  of  Expression."  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.,  Publishers, 
Boston. 


3/6  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

and  Ring  Fingers  which  lie  more  closely  together  are 
Emotive;  and  the  Little  Finger,  he  states,  is  '•'•sensitively 
Mental"  Without  entering  into  a  discussion  of  these  facts 
we  will  endeavor  to  show  their  significance  as  we  proceed 
with  this  subject. 

Since  the  Hand,  as  a  whole,  is  the  Mental  zone  of  the 
arm  it  should  determine  the  meaning  of  each  gesture.  For 
the  more  accurate  statement  of  facts  we  here  turn  to  the 
pages  of  Austin,  who  published  his  work  a  half-century 
before  Delsarte's  formulations  were  made  known  even  to  his 
first  pupils.  We  find,  in  substance,  but  in  different  order, 
and  with  many  modifications  and  variations,  a  full  descrip- 
tion of  the  following  leading  "  Positions  of  the  Hands  "  : 
Index,  Supine,  Prone,  Reflex,  Clasped,  Averse  (Vertical)  and 
Clenched. 

Here,  as  before,  let  us  send  a  gleam  of  light  through  the 
darkness  and  obscurity  in  which  the  truths  of  expression 
have  been  too  often  shrouded.  A  careful  investigation 
reveals  the  following  analogy  between  Delsarte's  triune 
theory  and  Austin's  empirical  statements. 

,.. Index. % 

^U.MENTAL,----'      Supine. X 

X**  --:-Prone "S^>, 

--''"     Reflex  '"'-"-::5.  POSITIONS 

m-       .      ._  +*  ,'  „-   --JXCllCX *-"-V  f 

MAN    ^ III.  EMOTIVE,----  ~~-^         of 

(a  Psychic^.  ""V  —  — -Clasped-  — """     -'-'''       HANDS 

--.Averse ."<''' 

.,----.:::  ...Clenched  _/ 

a.  Index.  (Figs.  3,  4  and  5.)  This  is  perhaps  the  most 
Mental  of  all  the  Positions  of  the  hand.  The  Mental  fore- 
finger is  emphasized  and  extended, 
while  the  other  fingers  and  Vital  thumb 
are  closed  in  and  retired,  concealing 
the  Emotive  palm.  (See  Fig.  3.)  The 
dominant  significance  of  this  principle 
is  Mentality.  In  description  of  ex- 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.        3/7 

ternal  things  it  points  out  objects  in  whatever  plane  they 
may  be  located,  and  directs  the  mental  vision  of  the  audi- 
ence.      It  counts  objects,    enumerates   facts,    and  designates 
points  of  argument.     Turned  over,  as 
in  Fig.  4,  it  adds  greater  emphasis  to 
its  directing  power ;    and  in  the  mani- 
festation of  greater  vitality  the  Vital          n*'  4-   Index- 
thumb  leaves  its  resting-place  above  the  nail  of  the  second 
finger  and  elevates  into  greater  prominence,  as  in  Fig.  5. 
In  caution  or  reproach  the  index  finger 
is  sometimes  shaken  up  and  down  ; 
in   solemn  warning  it    is   held  in  a 
vertical    position    and   points  to    a 
higher    admonishing    Power.      The 
directing  power  of  the  Index  hand 
is  clearly  recognized  by  all  peoples, 
and  the  above  analysis  demands  its  &%.  5.   index, 

classification  as  a  Mental  agent  of  expression. 

b.  Supine.  (Figs.  6  and  7.)  In  the  hand  Supine  the 
Mental  fingers  are  extended,  the 
Emotive  palm  is  open,  graciously 
revealing  the  truth,  and  the  Vital 
thumb  is  elevated  or  depressed  in 
proportion  to  the  amount  of  vital 

Fig:.  6.     Supine. 

intensity    implied    in    the    thought. 

The  greatest  movement  in  this  gesture  is  that  of  the 
fingers,  which  we  have  seen  are  Mental.  This  is  the  most 
common  position  of  the  hand  in  speech,  revelatory  in  its 

1  While  visiting  hospitals  and  morgues  in  search  of  truths  Delsarte  discovered 
that  the  thumbs  of  the  dead  and  dying  were  depressed  toward  the  palm,  thus 
showing  death  or  a  low  state  of  vitality  —  a  fact  of  diagnosis  well  known  to  every 
educated  physician  of  to-day.  Possessed  of  this  truth  he  was  enabled  to  teach  the 
artists  of  the  Louvre  the  difference  between  a  peaceful  sleeping  hand  and  that 
from  which  life  had  departed.  The  lesson  which  we  gather  from  this  discovery 
is  that  the  gesture  with  which  we  would  impart  fervor  and  strength  and  inspire 
enthusiasm  in  others  must  have  a  prominence  of  this  Vital  member  of  the  Mental 
hand. 


3/8  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

nature  and  corresponding  most  nearly  to  the  Mental  states. 
^^^g     Its   significance  is   that  of  affirmation, 
^^>%  welcome,  assertion,  asking,  giving,  conces- 

"T^Jjjjj^Pk-    sion,  submission,  humility,  etc.,  accord- 
Fig.  7.   Supine.          ing  to  the  plane  in  which  it  is  made. 

Because  of  the  many  and  varied  inflections  of  the  hand  in 
response  to  individuality  and  to  all  the  different  shadings  of 
thought  and  sentiment,  there  are  many  blends  and  modifications 
of  these  principles  ;  but  the  student  should  not  lose  sight  of  the 
main  principles  to  which  all  these  modifications  must  conform. 

c.  Prone.  (Fig.  8.)  The  Prone  hand,  like  the  Supine, 
extends  the  Mental  fingers,  the  sustaining  thumb  and  the 
Emotive  palm  toward  the  object  or  audience.  It  moulds, 
shapes,  caresses  and  commands.  Stretching  forth,  it  locates 
territory,  traces  out  distances,  measures  heights,  and  feels  its 
way  in  darkness  or  blindness.  We  have  seen  that  the 
Supine  hand  is  revelatory ;  the  Prone  hand  is  repressive. 
The  Supine  is  affirmative ;  the  Prone  is  negative.  The 
Supine  gives  and  receives  ;  the  Prone  rejects. 

When  the  hand  approximates  an  angle  with  the  forearm, 
it  approaches  aversion  and  enters  the  Emotive  realm.  It 
reproves,  shows  moral  restraint,  sup- 
pression, protection,  beneficence  and 
blessing.  Love  prompts  us  to  re- 
strain or  protect,  and  love  is  Emo- 
Fig.s.  Prone'  tive  in  its  significance.  The  out- 

stretched hands  of  the  minister,  at  the  close  of  a  church 
service,  is  not  an  unmeaning  benediction.  The  religious 
ceremony  of  the  "  laying  on  of  hands "  signifies  blessing  or 
the  imparting  of  spiritual  force.  Held  in  an  upright  position 
and  turned  toward  an  officer  authorized  to  administer  the 
oath,  thus  showing  all  of  each  zone  freely,  it  is  the  out- 
ward sign  of  submission,  solemnity  and  truth  required  by  law. 

It  will  be  seen  that  we  have  passed  from  the  Mental  into 
the  Emotive  division  of  man's  triune  nature,  and  that  the 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.        3/9 

Prone  hand  responds  about  equally  to  each ;  hence  we  have 
placed  it  as  a  pivotal  point  in  the  scale. 

d.    Reflex.     (Figs.  9  and  10.)     Here  we  have  the  palm, 
fingers  and  thumb  all  turned  inward  and  directed  toward 


Tig.  9.    Reflex.  Fig.  10.    Reflex. 

self,  signifying  concentration,  reflection  or  reference  to  one's 
own  consciousness  or  feeling.  The  position  of  one  or  both 
hands  Reflex,  and  held  in  a  grasping  or  clutching  attitude 
with  the  Vital  thumb  emphasized,  the  fingers  apart  and 
crooked  inward,  and  the  Emotive  palm  flattened  as  in 
Fig.  10,  signifies  self-menace,  exasperation,  or  convulsion,  ac- 
cording to  the  zone  sought.  If,  for  example,  the  Reflex 
hand  seeks  the  Mental  forehead  or  upper  torso,  it  signi- 
fies mental  or  exalted  concentration  ;  if  it  returns  to  the 
Emotive  torso,  it  shows  affectional  emotion,  the  intensity  of 
which  will  be  indicated  by  i.ts  approach  to  the  clutching 
position  of  Fig.  10;  if  it  seeks  a  Vital  zone,  it  represents 
emotion  or  pain  aroused  by  the  Vital  nature,  the  degrees  of 
which  will  be  shown  by  the  afore-named  attitude  of  the 
hand  itself. 

Both  hands  Reflex  and  crossed  upon  the  breast  convey 
the  impression  of  humility,  reverence,  or  self-abnegation.  No 
less  significant  is  the  crossing  of  the  Reflex  hands  upon  the 
Emotive  torso  when  the  soul  has  left  the  "temple  of  clay" 
we  knew  and  loved  in  life. 


38O  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

From  the  above  it  will  be  seen  that  this  expression 
of  the  hand  responds  most  fully  to  the  Emotive  nature 
and  that  its  classification  as  an  Emotive  agent  is  fully 
warranted. 

e.  Clasped.  This  position  of  the  hands  evidently  be- 
longs to  the  Emotive  realm.  In  hands  Clasped  the  warm, 


Fig.  II.     Clasped.  Fig.  12.     Clasped. 

Emotive  palms  are  brought  together,  and  the  fingers  and 
thumbs  are  clasped  as  in  Fig.  u,  or  interlocked  and 
clasped  as  in  Fig.  12,  as  if  to  emphasize  or  press  the  palms 
closer  together  for  more  intimate  and  sympathetic  com- 
munion. 

The  significance  of  hands  Clasped  is  that  of  prayer,  sup- 
plication,  adoration,  or  entreaty,  the  intensity  and  exact 
shading  of  which  depends  upon  the  vital  energy  of  the 
hands  themselves,  the  angle  at  which  they  are  held  with  the 
forearm,  and  the  zone  sought.  Hands  clasped  vigorously 
and  at  a  sharper  angle  with  the  forearm  implies  greater 
strength  and  earnestness  of  the  supplication ;  clasped  over 
the  upper  torso,  a  more  Mental  prayer ;  and  over  the  heart, 
a  more  Emotive  entreaty. 

The  hands  are  clasped  and  wrung  in  such  emotions  as 
deep  sorrow,  anguish,  or  remorse.  This  Emotive  principle  is 
recognized  in  the  cordial  grasp  of  the  hand  augmented  by 
the  vertical  movement  of  the  Emotive  forearm  in  the  hearty 
hand-shake  of  friendship. 

f.  Averse.  (Figs.  13,  14  and  15.)  Akin  to  the  Prone  and 
yet  an  evident  departure  from  it,  is  the  hand  Averse,  or  Ver- 
tical as  Dr.  Austin  has  named  it,  which  occupies  the  other 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.        381 


Fig.  14.     Averse 


pivotal  position  in  the  scale  and  responds  about  equally  to 

the  Emotive  and  Vital  natures.     In 

this  position  the  hand  is  at  an  angle 

with  the  forearm,  while  in  the  Prone  it 

continues  on  about  the  same  line  of 

the  forearm.     The  exact  point  where 

the  Prone  ends  and  the  Averse  begins 

is  not  to  be  marked  by  "hard  and 

fast  lines,"  —  a  fact  that  applies  to 

all  artistic   blends   and   shadings   in 

Elocution. 

The    angle    of    the   Averse    hand 

varies    in   degree    as    shown    in    the 

three  accompanying  figures.  At  an  obtuse 
angle  (Fig.  13),  the  hand  may  express  simple 
admonition,  or  reproof;  bent  back  to  a  greater 
degree  (Fig.  1 4),  it  signifies  stronger  denial, 
aversion,  repulsion,  or  loathing;  or  with 
fingers  spread  apart  and  the  Vital  thumb 
distended  as  in  Fig.  15,  it  is  the  actional 
language  of  extreme  fear,  terror,  horror,  and 

amazement.     The  Emotive  and  Vital  energy  is  further  aug- 
mented by  the  use  of  both  hands,  and  their  direction  in  the 

plane  will  be  regulated  by  the   location  of   the  offending 

object. 

From  the  above  analysis  it  would  seem  that  the  Averse 

hand  occupies  indisputably  the  pivotal  point  to  which  it  is 

assigned  in  the  classification  (p.  376). 
g.    Clenched.       (Fig.    16.)      In   the    hand    Clenched   the 

Mental  fingers  are  drawn  into  the  hollow  of  the  Emotive 

palm  and  locked  under  the  strong  clasp 

of  the  Vital  thumb  making  a  formidable 

weapon  of  attack.     All  the  delicate  articu- 
lations of  the  Mental  and  Emotive  zones 

are   suppressed,  and  the  hand  becomes    a 

solid  mass  to  be  used  in  physical  conflict. 


Fig.  15.     Averse. 


Fig.  16.    Clenched. 


332 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


The  significance  of  the  Clenched  fist  is  universally 
recognized  as  expressing  those  strong  passions  in  which 
physical  activity  is  the  dominant  characteristic,  such  as 
hate,  anger,  revenge,  defiance,  etc.,  and  we  need  no  further 
warrant  in  classifying  this  as  a  Vital  agent  of  action. 

That  the  student  may  see  the  Positions  of  the  Hands  in 
connection  with  the  whole  arm  and  torso  we  here  subjoin 
some  additional  cuts.  These  will  be  of  further  service  in 
the  chapter  on  Technique  of  Action. 


Fig.  17.     Hand  Index. 


Fig.  18.     Hand  Supine. 


Fig.  19. 
Hand  Prone. 


Fig.  20. 

Hand  ReEex. 


Fig.  21. 

Hands  Clasped. 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.        383 


Fig.  22.     Hands  Averse. 


Jig.  23.     Hands  Clenched. 


(2)   The  Wrist. 

The  Wrist  is  the  Mental  pivot  or  joint  upon  which  the 
Mental  hand  moves.  Its  action  is  significant  of  mental 
emphasis.  From  the  foregoing  treatment  of  the  hand  we 
have  implied  two  principal  movements  of  the  wrist,  namely: 
a  side-to-side  movement  and  a  hinge  movement  both  of 
which  will  be  more  fully  treated,  with  exercises  for  their 
cultivation,  in  our  chapter  on  Technique  of  Action. 


(3)  The  Forearm. 

The  Emotive  Forearm  lies  between  and  connects  a  Mental 
and  a  Vital  zone  —  a  fact  common  to  all  Emotive  zones  of 
the  body.  This  part  of  the  arm  is  brought  into  prominence 
in  prayer,  supplication,  wringing  of  hands,  etc.  The  signifi- 
cance of  the  Clasped  hands,  which  we  have  seen  is  Emotive, 
is  intensified  by  the  Position  of  the  Emotive  forearm.  The 
ordinary  clasping  of  the  Mental  hands  is  a  conventional 
mental  recognition  of  an  acquaintance,  but  the  strong,  cor- 
dial grasp  of  the  hand  bringing  into  active  play  the  muscles 
of  the  Forearm  adds,  as  we  have  seen,  a  fervor  to  the  greet- 
ing. The  emotion  is  further  increased  when  the  Forearms 
press  the  object  of  affection  to  the  Emotive  torso. 


384  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

(4)   The  Elbow. 

The  Elbow  has  an  in-and-out  hinge  movement  which  gives 
the  emphatic  stroke  to  the  forearm,  and  a  rotary  movement 
which  gives  the  Supine  and  Prone  positions  to  the  hand. 
This  is  the  Emotive  joint  or  pivot  upon  which  the  forearm 
moves.  Ante-dating  Delsarte,  Samson,  the  teacher  of  the 
great  French  actress,  Rachel,  said:  "The  elbow  is  the  soul 
of  the  arm." 

The  position  of  the  elbows  is  very  significant  in  expres- 
sion. Held  closely  to  the  body  they  indicate  self-suppression, 
fear,  passtieness,  and /#<:£  of  cordiality  ;  thrust  out  with  fore- 
arms extended,  they  show  strength,  power,  self-assertion,  and 
affectional  greeting ;  held  akimbo,  in  which  the  Emotive  fore- 
arms are  directed  towards  self,  or  even  with  folded  arms, 
if  the  elbows  are  protruded,  they  assert  arrogance,  impudence, 
audacity,  affection  for  self  regardless  of  the  rights  or  opinions 
of  others. 

(5)   The  Upper-Arm. 

This  is  the  Vital  zone  of  the  arm.  In  a  symmetrically 
developed  arm  the  largest  muscles  are  located  there.  The 
ambitious  athlete  draws  up  his  forearm  and  calls  attention 
to  the  knotted  flexor  muscles  of  the  upper-arm  to  show  his 
progress  in  the  gymnasium.  "  Strike  out  from  the  shoulder  " 
is  a  well-known  phrase  signifying  a  heavy  vital  blow,  which 
implies  a  strong  exertion  of  the  extensor  muscles  located 
in  the  Vital  upper-arm.  We  draw  up  the  weight  of  the  body 
in  climbing,  and  strike  the  heavy  blows  in  vital  conflict  by 
the  action  of  the  muscles  of  the  upper-arm. 

In  expression  the  upper-arm  is  brought  into  play  in  all 
the  larger,  extended,  sweeping  gestures,  signifying  strength, 
courage,  defiance,  boldness,  pouter,  and  other  sentiments 
and  emotions  in  which  the  assertion  of  vitality  predomin- 
ates. 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.         385 

(6)   The  Shoulder. 

This  joint  affords  the  greatest  freedom  of  movement  for 
the  whole  arm,  including  lines  of  direction  from  any  one 
part  to  another  within  the  radius  of  the  circle  described 
by  its  rotary  movement.  It  allows  the  arm  to  elevate  to 
the  zenith,  descend  to  the  nadir,  or  sweep  the  broad  plane 
spread  out  before  us. 

As  the  pivot  or  joint  upon  which  the  Vital  upper  arm 
revolves  in  expression  and  exerts  itself  in  strength,  the 
shoulder  must  be  logically  classified  as  Vital.  We  carry 
heavy  burdens  upon  the  shoulder.  It  is  used  as  a  shield 
of  defence  when  vital  injury  is  threatened.  "Atlas  with  the 
world  upon  his  shoulders,"  "  Broad-shouldered  strength," 
"Put  your  shoulder  to  the  wheel,"  "His  burden  shall  be 
taken  away  from  off  thy  shoulder"  (la.  x,  27),  etc.,  are 
significant  of  strength  or  vitality.  Drooped  shoulders,  the 
usual  accompaniment  of  a  sunken  chest,  indicate  lack  of 
vitality. 

On  the  other  hand  the  movement  of  both  shoulders  them- 
selves independent  of  the  extension  of  the  arm  in  gesture 
such  as  the  shrug,  or  their  upward,  forward  or  rotary  move- 
ments in  strong  passion,  has  caused  some  writers  to  classify 
this  as  an  Emotive  center.  Delsarte  says:  "The  shoulder 
is  the  thermometer  of  sensibility  ";  some  have  translated  this 
as  Emotive  and  have  been  thus  led  into  the  corresponding 
error  of  classifying  the  wrist  as  "  the  thermometer  of  vital 
energy."  We  think  that  while  the  shoulder  movements  are 
manifest  in  the  expression  of  passion  or  emotion,  a  deeper 
analysis  will  show  that  they  simply  mark  the  Vital  intensity 
of  the  passion,  which,  after  all,  justifies  our  classification. 
The  "  patient  shrug "  of  Shylock  means  simply  "  I  have 
borne  the  burden  of  Antonio's  attacks  which  are  beyond  my 
power  to  remedy." 

We  have  seen  that  the  action  of  the  Mental  hand  in  greet- 
ing is  intensified  into  emotion  by  the  action  of  the  Emotive 


386  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

forearm  and  elbow  ;  so  the  addition  of  the  Vital  upper-arm 
and  shoulder  movements  gives  vitality  and  intensity  to  the 
greeting.  The  child  throws  his  arms  around  his  mother's 
neck  for  "  a  good  hug  "  which,  expressed  in  technical  termi- 
nology, means  that  he  loves  her  with  his  Mental,  Emotive 
and  Vital  natures,  i.  e.  with  all  his  mind,  soul  and  body. 

2.    The  Legs. 

In  harmony  with  the  Mental,  Emotive  and  Vital  divisions 
of  the  arms,  Delsarte  gives  for  the  Leg  the  following: 

(i)   Zonal  Correspondences. 

..JI.  MENTAL Foot., 

MAN    <-.::.        ...JH.EMOTIVR____ ..Lower  Leg ~lV_~->        LEG 

(a  Psychic     "•••-.,  „,--''  (an  agent  of 

Being)  -I. VITAL. Upper  Leg..,--'  action) 

In  a  brief  consideration  of  the  above  divisions  of  the  Leg 
the  student  is  referred  to  the  previous  fuller  treatment  of  the 
arm  and  reminded  of  nature's  well  established  analogy  be- 
tween the  hand  and  foot,  wrist  and  ankle,  forearm  and  lower 
leg,  elbow  and  knee,  upper-arm  and  upper-leg,  and  shoulder 
and  hip-joints. 

Very  briefly,  then,  the  Foot  and  Ankle  belong  to  the 
Mental  zone  of  the  Leg.  The  little  convulsive  movements 
of  the  toes  and  twistings  of  the  foot  in  confused  thinking 
show  embarrassment.  Tapping  the  foot  upon  the  floor  indi- 
cates mental  impatience  or  irritation.  The  foot  turning  upon 
its  Mental  joint, —  the  ankle, —  picks  the  steps  and  finds  the 
path  which  is  the  Mental  part  of  walking.  "  Then  shalt  thou 
walk  in  thy  way  safely,  and  thy  foot  shall  not  stumble,"  is 
the  Biblical  promise  given  to  those  who  "  keep  sound  wisdom 
and  discretion." 

The  Lower-Leg  and  Knee  are  Emotive.  The  knees  fre- 
quently shake  in  strong  emotions.  A  "  weak-kneed  "  person 
is  one  who  lacks  moral  strength.  The  Lower-leg  and  Knee 


ZONES,  POSITIONS  AND  ATTITUDES  OF  BODY.   387 

are  prostrated  in  the  attitude  of  prayer  or  supplication.  We 
kneel  in  reverence  and  in  the  more  Emotive  forms  of  obe- 
dience, love  and  subordination  to  others.  The  prophet's  pro- 
clamation, "As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord,  every  knee  shall  bow  to 
me,  and  every  tongue  shall  confess  to  God"  (Rom.  xiv.  u), 
heralds  the  ultimate  moral  submission  of  all  men. 

The  Upper-Leg  and  Hip- Joint  correspond  to  the  Vital 
nature.  The  muscles  of  this  part  of  the  leg  are  brought 
into  action  in  striding,  running,  climbing,  or  lifting  heavy 
burdens.  With  a  free  movement  at  the  Hip-joint,  and  a 
contraction  of  the  extensor  muscles  of  the  thigh,  the  Vital 
kick  is  made.  A  walk  which  brings  into  play  a  more 
extended  action  of  the  upper-leg,  is  Vital  in  its  signifi- 
cance. This  is  true  in  the  Positions  and  Attitudes  of  the 
leg.  Shylock's  threat :  "  If  I  can  catch  him  once  upon  the 
hip,  I  will  feed  fat  the  ancient  grudge  I  bear  him,"  implies 
the  destruction  of  Antonio's  life.  The  mind  easily  pictures 
Touchstone  placing  his  hand  upon  his  thighs  as  he  says  : 

"  I  care  not  for  my  spirits  if  my  legs  were  not  weary.  .  .  .  For 
my  part,  I  had  rather  bear  with  ybu  than  bear  you." 


(2)  Positions  and  Attitudes  of  the  Lower  Limbs. 

The  Positions  and  Attitudes  of  the  lower  limbs  are  based 
not  so  much  upon  a  philosophy  of  the  expression  of  the  feet 
themselves  as  upon  the  relative  angles  which  give  them  a 
becoming  appearance  to  the  eye,  and  the  location  of  the 
'weight  of  the  body  which  gives  expressive  poise  and  bearing. 
However,  any  serious  violation  of  these  angles  and  location 
of  weight  will  negatively  prove  their  efficacy  and  truth. 

Here  again  we  turn  to  Austin's  Chironomia,  which  gives 
the  briefest  and,  perhaps,  the  clearest  record  of  the  Posi- 
tions and  Attitudes  of  the  Feet  and  Lower  Limbs.  We  find, 
numerically  designated,  four  of  each,  which,  by  numbering 
the  principles  involved,  we  have  reduced  to  two.  We  also 


388 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


add  a  third  which  is  not  noted  by  Dr.  Austin,  making  in  all 
three  Positions  and  three  Attitudes. 

Let  us  view  this  subject  by  the  light  of  another  diagram. 
As  the  harmony  of  Rush  and  Delsarte  has  been  shown  in 
the  vocal  principles,  so  this,  our  last  triune  diagram  of 
Action,  completes  the  harmony  of  Delsarte  and  Austin. 


MAN.f- 
Being) 


^Second  Att.,  Right  &  Left,  For'd  Incl'n 
^.1.  Vital  ___  £'_'__Third  Position  and  Third  Attitude  ___  N\ 

vvFirst  Attitude,  Right  and  Left  ________  X\  Positions 

^11.  Mental_^:l!_First  Position,  Right  and  Left  ________  -'^Attitudes 


^Second  Position,  Right  and  Left 


'd  Incl'n/ 


a.  Positions. 

(a)  First  Position  Right.1     (Fig.  24.)     In  this  Position 
the  right  foot  is  placed  about  one-half  its  length  in  advance 

of  the  heel  of  the  left,  so 
that  a  straight  line  pro- 
jected through  and  parallel 
with  the  right  foot  must 
strike  the  heel  of  the  left. 
The  feet  are  at  an  angle  of 
about  75°  with  each  other. 
The  right  foot  is  at  an 
angle  of  about  37°,  and  the 

1  Throughout  our  treatment 
of  Positions  and  Attitudes,  the 
terms  "  Right "  and  "  Left "  will 
refer  to  the  foot  which  is  forward, 
e.g.  First  Position  Right  indicates 
that  the  right  foot  is  forward  and 
nearest  to  the  audience;  First 
Position  Left,  that  the  left  foot 
Fig.  24.  First  Position  Right.  is  forward. 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.      389 


left  at  about  ^8°,  with  the  line  FF  projected  in  front  of  the 
body ;  the  little  swaying  movements  of  the  body  to  right 
and  left  may  cause  this  line  to  vary  about  15°,  as  indicated 
by  the  short  arc  in  Fig.  24,  without  changing  the  position 
of  the  feet. 

While  the  weight  of  the  body  is  placed  chiefly  upon  the 
left  foot,  as  explained  by  Dr.  Austin,  we  would  insist  that 
the  preponderance  of  weight  be  given  to  the  ball  of  the  left 
foot,  as  indicated  by  the  shading  in  Fig.  24.  This  distri- 
bution of  weight  and  angles  gives  an  easy,  graceful  bearing 
to  the  lower  limbs,  and  secures  the»harmonic  poise  of  the 
entire  body. 

The  significance  of  the  First  Position  Right  is  that  of 
mentality,  self-poised  and  under  control.  It  is  used  in  narra- 
tion, description,  didactic  thought,  and  in  the  gentle  emotions,  — 
in  short,  whenever  the  speaker  is  in  a  normal  Mental  state, 
and  not  swayed  by  strong  emotion  or  passion ;  hence  our 
classification  of  this  Position  as  Mental. 

(V)  First  Position  Left. 
(Fig.  25.)  This  is  the  coun- 
terpart and  complement  of 
the  First  Position  Right  and 
illustrates  the  same  principle. 
The  angles  are  the  same,  and 
the  left  foot  is  placed  for- 
ward about  the  distance  of 
one-half  its  length  from  the 
heel  of  the  right  foot,  and 
the  weight  of  the  body  falls 
chiefly  upon  the  ball  of  the 
right  foot  as  indicated  by 
the  shading  in  Fig.  25. 

Since  the  First  Position 
Right  and  the  First  Position 
Left  are  based  upon  the  same  Fijr.  35.  First  Position 


390 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


principle,  their  significance  must  be  the  same  —  that  of 
ordinary  mentality  when  the  speaker  is  not  moved  by  strong 
emotion  or  vitality.  They  are  used  interchangeably  to  avoid 
tedium  and  the  fatigue  of  holding  one  Position  too  long. 

(f)  Second  Position  Right.  (Fig.  26.)  In  this  Position 
the  speaker  steps  forward  toward  the  audience  and  throws 

the  weight  of  the 
body  principally 
upon  the  ball  of  the 
right  foot,  while  the 
heel  of  the  left  is 
lifted  slightly  from 
the  floor  and  its 
weight  is  balanced 
upon  the  side  of  the 
ball,  as  indicated  by 
the  shading  in  Fig. 
26. 

A  line  drawn 
through  the  right 
foot  would  strike  the 
heel  of  the  left,  as 
in  the  First  Position 
Right.  The  angle 
between  the  feet,  however,  is  now  changed  to  about  90°, 
or  a  right  angle.  The  right  foot  retains  the  angle  of  about 
37°  with  the  variable  line  FF,  and  the  left  foot  takes  the 
remaining  53°  of  the  right  angle. 

This  Position  is  more  solicitous,  more  MentO-Emotive  than 
the  First  Position  Right  or  Left.  It  is  used  when  some 
emotion  is  added  to  mentality,  so  that  the  speaker  is  impelled 
to  step  forward  toward  his  audience  that  he  may  impart  his 
thought  with  more  friendliness  and  fervor.  Hence  this 
Position  is  placed  in  the  diagram  as  pivotal  between  the 
Mental  and  Emotive  divisions. 


Fig.  26.     Second  Position  Right. 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.      39! 


(d)  Second  Position  Left.  (Fig.  27.)  This  is  the 
counterpart  of  the  Second  Position  Right.  The  left  foot  is 
placed  forward  and 
receives  the  weight 
of  the  body,  as  indi- 
cated by  the  shading 
in  the  accompanying 
figure.  A  line  pro- 
jected through  the 
left  foot  strikes  the 
heel  of  the  right,  and 
the  relative  angles 
are  the  same  as  in 
the  Second  Position 
Left. 

This  Position  is 
the  complement  of 
the  Second  Position 
Right.  As  shown  in 
the  triune  classifica- 
tion, both  are  Mento-Emotive,  hence  their  significance  is 
the  same,  —  that  of  entreaty,  earnestness,  appeal  and 
similar  states  of  the  mind.  The  Second  Position  Right  is 
more  appropriate  when  the  speaker  steps  forward  to  the 
right ;  and  the  Second  Position  Left  gives  a  more  graceful 
appearance  when  he  is  addressing  that  part  of  his  audience 
to  the  left.  Either  Position  'held  too  long  will  become 
monotonous. 

(<?)  Third  Position.  (Fig.  28.)  This  is  the  Military  or 
Gymnasium  Position,  which  we  add  to  Dr.  Austin's  list  to 
meet  some  requirements  omitted  in  his  treatment  of  this 
subject. 

In  this  Position  the  heels  are  on  a  line  and  may  be  placed 
together  or  a  few  inches  apart.  The  feet  are  at  an  angle  of 
about  75°  for  expressive  purposes,  though  they  are  placed 


Fig.  27.     Second  Position  Left. 


392 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


at  a  greater  angle  in  the  Gymnasium  or  on  the  Military 
drill-ground,  as  already  explained  in  the  vitalizing  exercises 

for  the  feet  and  legs  (p. 
355).  The  bisecting  line 
FF  varies  as  in  the  other 
Positions. 

The  weight  of  the  body 
is  placed  about  equally 
upon  the  two  feet  and  is 
about  evenly  distributed 
throughout  their  length. 

This  is  the  Normal  basic 
Position  corresponding  to 
Delsarte's  Normo- Normal, 
and  simply  represents  the 
feet  bearing  the  Vital  weight 
of  the  body  without  any 
attempt  at  Mental  or  Emo- 
tive expression  ;  hence  we 
have  classified  it  as  the 
Vital.  This  Position  is  often  assumed  in  childhood  and  in 
old  age,  when  it  requires  greater  vital  exertion  to  stand 
unsupported.  It  is  rarely  used  upon  the  platform  or  stage 
except  in  a  personative  sense,  and  is  then  assumed  to  repre- 
sent servitude,  humility,  feebleness,  old  age,  etc.  We  would 
not  expect  a  very  strong  speech  from  one  who  assumed  the 
Third  Position  upon  the  rostrum. 

b.  Attitudes. 

(a)  First  Attitude  Right.  (Fig.  29.)  An  Attitude  is  a 
Position  extended  and  enlarged.  The  First  Attitude  Right 
is  similar  to  the  First  Position  Right,  except  that  the  right 
foot  is  placed  about  its  own  length  in  advance  of  the  left, 
making  a  broader  base,  and  giving  a  firmer,  stronger  position 
to  the  lower  limbs.  The  lines,  angles  and  weight  of  the 


Fiff.  28.     Third  Position. 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.      393 


body  are  the  same,  as  will  be  seen  in  Fig.  29,  but  it  indicates 
more  strength  and  intensity 
of  expression.  It  is  used 
in  the  expression  of  grand, 
bold,  lofty,  heroic,  or  impas- 
sioned oratoric  thought  when 
the  speaker  is  aroused  to 
greater  physical  strength 
and  his  thought  is  sustained 
by  greater  vigor  of  body;  the 
broader  base  is  necessary  to 
the  bolder  action.  Hence 
our  classification  of  this  Atti- 
tude as  pivotal,  responding 
about  equally  to  both  the 
Mental  and  Vital  natures. 

(b)  First  Attitude  Left. 
(Fig.  30.)  This  is  the  First 
Position  Left  extended  into 
an  Attitude.  The  lines  and 
angles  are  the  same  as 
those  just  described,  as 
will  be  seen  by  reference  to 
the  accompanying  figure. 

The  First  Attitude  Left 
is  the  counterpart  of  the 
First  Attitude  Right  (Fig. 
29).  The  left  foot  is  placed 
forward  and  the  right  re- 
ceives the  greater  weight. 
The  distance  between  the 
feet  in  either  case  varies 
according  to  the  intensity 
of  the  thought  or  vitality 
moving  the  speaker. 


75° 

Figf.  30.     First  Attitude  Left. 


75° ' 

Figf.  29.     First  Attitude  Right. 


394 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


The  two  forms  of  the  First  Attitude  are  significant  of  the 
same  states  of  mind  and  body,  and  are  placed  at  the  pivotal 
point  in  the  scale,  responding  to  the  Mental  and  Vital 
natures.  Like  the  First  and  Second  Positions  they  may 
be  used  interchangeably. 

(c)  Second  Attitude  Right,  Forward  Inclination.  There 
are  two  forms  of  this  Attitude,  namely  :  Forward  Inclination 
and  Backward  Inclination. 

The  Forward  Inclination  of  the  Second  Attitude  Right 
(Fig.  31)  is  based  upon  the  Second  Position  Right.  The 

lines  and  angles  are 
the  same,  but  the  right 
foot  is  placed  about 
twice  its  length  in  ad- 
vance of  the  left,  and 
receives  the  greater 
part  of  the  weight  of 
the  body,  though  the 
left  foot  is  planted 
firmly,  and  also  re- 
ceives varying  pro- 
portions of  the  weight. 
The  right  knee  is 
bent,  and  the  feet 
are  at  about  a  right 
angle  with  each  other, 
though  this  varies 
somewhat  according 
to  the  length  of  the 
step  and  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  weight  of 

Figf.  31.   Second  Attitude  Right,  Forward  Inclination.   ^g     bO(Jy         This      IS 

shown  by  the  dotted  lines  representing  the  left  foot  in 
Fig.  31.  The  greater  the  weight  placed  upon  the  right 
foot,  the  more  obtuse  becomes  the  angle. 


90° 


ZONES,     POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.      395 


It  will  be  readily  seen  that  this  Attitude  is  intensely 
vital  and  aggressive,  and  represents  the  Vital  nature  more 
strongly  than  any  other.  It  is  used  in  the  expression  of 
courage,  defiance,  aggression  and  strength^ 

(d)  Second  Attitude  Left,  Forward  Inclination.  There 
are  also  two  Inclinations  of  the  Second  Attitude  Left, 
namely.:  the  Forward  and  the  Backward. 

The  Forward  Inclination  of  this  Attitude  (Fig.  32)  is 
based  upon  the  Second  Position  Left  (Fig.  27).  The  left 
foot  is  placed  two  or 
three  times  its  length 
in  advance  of  the 
right,  the  weight  is 
thrown  heavily  upon 
it,  and  the  left  knee 
is  bent,  throwing  the 

1  The  posture  of  Kneel- 
ing, which  expresses //#/, 
tenderness,  solicitude,  or 
prayer,  is  based  upon  the 
Second  Attitude,  Right 
and  Left,  Forward  Incli- 
nation. It  represents  a 
prostration  of  the  emotive 
knee  and  lower  leg  (p. 
382),  and  a  corresponding 
submission  of  vitality  to 
spirituality.  Strength 
breaks  into  submission ; 
both  exemplify  the  same 
principles,  just  as  joy  and 
sorrow  have  some  com- 
mon elements  of  expres- 
sion (p.  177). 

The  student  will  observe  that  we  are  not  attempting  to  record  all  the 
attitudes  and  postures  that  the  human  body  may  assume  in  response 
to  the  physical  location  of  things ;  we  are  simply  classifying  the  princi- 
ples involved  in  oratoric  and  dramatic  expression. 


Fig.  32.     Second  Attitude  Left,  Forward  Inclination. 


396 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


torso  forward.  The  lines  and  angles  have  all  been  explained 
in  converse  order  under  the  Second  Attitude  Right,  but 
they  are  shown  in  the  accompanying  figure.  This  and  the 
preceding  Attitudes  represent  great  strength  and  vitality, 
and  are  therefore  placed  under  the  Vital  division.  Their 
significance  is  the  same,  and  they  occur  interchangeably 
according  to  the  location  of  the  object  of  solicitude  or  the 

opposing  force  against  which  the 
aggression  and  strength  are  pro- 
jected. 

In  the  rendition  of  a  dramatic 
selection  demanding  the  intensity 
implied  in  the   Second  Attitude 
Right     and    Left,    the    student 
should  assume  the  former  if  the 
object  or  per- 
son   causing 
A  this    intensity 
be  on  his  right, 
/    and  the  latter, 
if    the    object 
be  on  his  left. 
The    same    is 
true     of     the 
Kneeling  post- 
ures Right  and 
Left. 

Fig".  33.     Second  Attitude  Right,  Backward  Inclination. 

(e)  Second  Attitude  Right,  Backward  Inclination.     The 

Backward  Inclination  (Fig.  33)  of  the  Second  Attitude  Right 
is  based  upon  the  Forward  Inclination  just  described,  and 
is  indicated  by  the  lines  CD,  HE,  in  the  figure  above.  The 
weight  is  thrown  back  chiefly  upon  the  left  leg,  the  left  knee 
is  bent,  and  the  feet  take  the  angle  AB,  HE.  The  right 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.      397 


foot  varies  in  position,  as  indicated  by  the  dotted  lines, 
according  to  the  distribution  of  the  weight  of  the  body. 
The  more  weight  upon  the  left  foot,  the  smaller  will  be  the 
angle. 

This  evidently  belongs  to  the  Emotive  class,  to  which  it 
is  assigned.  It  is  the  opposite  of  the  strong  aggressive 
Forward  Inclination  and  is  used  in  the  expression  of  such 
defensive  emotions  as  awe,  amaze- 
ment, fear,  dread,  terror,  horror, 
etc. 

(/)    Second   Attitude    Left, 
Backward     Inclination.      The 
Backward  Inclination   (Fig.   34) 
of  the   Second  Attitude  Left  is 
based  upon  the  Forward  Inclina- 
tion which  is  shown  by  the  lines 
CD,  EH.  The 
right  knee  is  A 
bent  and  the 
right      foot 
turns   to    the 
line  AB,  while 
the    left   foot 
changes,      as 
the    dotted 
lines   show, 
according    to 
the    distribu- 
tion    of     the 

weight  of  the  body  already  explained.  This  is  the  converse 
of  the  Backward  Inclination  of  the  Second  Attitude  Right  and 
is  used  reciprocally  with  it  according  to  the  location  of  the 
object  which  inspires  the  ftar,  dread,  defense,  or  horror,  etc. 

In  expression  the  torso,  arms  and  head  must  correspond 
with  these  Positions  and  Attitudes  of  the  lower  limbs.     In 


\ 


Fig.  34.     Second  Attitude  Left,  Backward  Inclination. 


398 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


practicing,  the  student  should  keep  in  mind  throughout  a 
genuine  realization  of  the  thought  or  emotion  implied. 

(g)  Third  Attitude.  (Fig.  35.)  This  is  simply  the  Third 
Position  extended;  the  feet  are  placed  farther  apart  and 

the  weight,  lines  and 
angles  continue  the 
same. 

The  Third  Atti- 
tude evidently  be- 
longs to  the  Vital 
division  and  is  used 
in  a  personative 
sense  to  express 
snobbishness,  coarse- 
ness, vulgarity,  self- 
assertion,  etc.  This 
Attitude  of  the  legs 
is  a  fit  accompani- 
ment to  the  arms 
akimbo  which,  we 
have  seen  (p.  384), 
is  the  expression  of 
impudence  and  self- 
assertion  regardless 
of  the  rights  or  opinions  of  others.  This  is  the  habitual 
attitude  of  such  characters  as  Shakspeare's  Jack  Falstajff, 
and  is  not  less  significant  in  the  modern  snob,  who,  by  this 
attitude,  simply  presents  the  Vital  side  of  his  nature  without 
a  proportional  balance  of  emotion  and  mentality.  It  is  used 
also  with  slightly  bent  knees  in  steadying  one's  self  on 
board  a  lurching  ship  or  moving  vehicle. 

To  summarize  the  foregoing  principles  for  convenient 
reference,  we  here  introduce  a  general  diagram  of  the  sub- 
ject, which,  like  that  of  the  Vocal  principles  (p.  87),  is  given 
in  the  reversed  order  from  the  individual  diagrams. 


Fig.  35. 


90 
Third  Attitude. 


ZONES,    POSITIONS    AND    ATTITUDES    OF    BODY.      399 


IV.  TABULAR  VIEW  OF  ZONAL  CORRESPONDENCES. 


...Cerebrum.  .........  Mental-. 

BR  Aiti  •,'.'_;''.'.  .....  Cerebellum  ________  .Emotive,\ 

''  ""---..Medulla  Ob  .......  .Vital  .....  V\ 


II.HEAEK'' 


Forehead.... 
" 


MAN 


-r-r-.-'.'.'.  ----  Nose  &  Cheek.  /.^-.Emotive  ••'''/ 

;::-;;---Mouth  .....  ...^-''' 

"*••    /-i--      p    T  —  »ViUl  .....  ' 

•  Chin  &  Jaw._..--' 

,,Upper.._  ...........  _______________  Mental.^,, 

^-'-'.'-.Middle  _____  ..................  .  .....  _  Emotive.  .IV.:^ 

"  ' 


MAN 


Index  _____  ^ 

/^upine  -------  .!:::>  Mental—  ^ 

//  Prone...,  ^--' 

HANDS/.'..  .Reflex  "'••. 

—  ::r>Emotive 
>    -  '-''' 


\\A  verse..,;-'' 


Mental. 


l.\\NForearm 


V.\Elbow.._  ..........  _-"."."-  -•--.-.--Emotive  ...... 

\\UpperArm  .......... 

\shouider.  .........  ;:;_;-.-_v- 


/3d  Pos.  &  3d  Att -)Vital  — . 

/''.'.tst  Att.,  Right  &  Left.../  \ 

.ist  Pos.,  Right  &  LeftJWnttbA 

\\ad  Pos.,  Right  &  Left../  \\ 

N\ad  Att.,  R.  &  L.,  Back'd>Emotive4 


£_.._Ankle j 

Lower  Leg 

'VCXKnee 

\ '-Upper  Leg ; 

'•Hip ---"-"-'•'••-Vital. j 


4OO  PRACTICAL     ELOCUTION. 

SECTION    II.  — INFLECTIONS    OF   THE   BODY. 

In  the  foregoing  section  we  have  treated  more  particularly 
of  the  Zones,  Positions  and  Attitudes  of  the  body,  and 
only  incidentally  of  its  Movements  or  Inflections.  It  now 
becomes  necessary  to  inquire  into  the  Direction  of  the 
Movements  or  Inflections,  the  Planes  in  which  they  are  to 
circulate  and  the  Distances  or  Extension  indicated  by  these 
Movements. 

I.    PLANES  OF  GESTURE. 

To  bring  our  subject  tersely  and  at  once  before  us  let  us 
quote  the  following  reported  statements  of  Delsarte:  —  "In 
this  world  there  are  two  Centers,  toward  which,  from  which, 
or  with  which,  everything  moves.  These  are :  — 

1.  The  center  of  gravity,  immediately  of  the  earth;    re- 
motely of  the  universe. 

2.  The  human  center  found  within  ourselves,  the  center 
of  the  Being  or  JEgo" 

To  these  statements  Mrs.  Laura  J.  Tisdale  adds  the  fol- 
lowing corollary  which  will  be  found  most  useful  in  the 
interpretation  of  the  various  combinations  and  blends  of 
meaning  in  applied  Gesture:  —  "Each  object  about  us  — 
animate  or  inanimate  —  when  related  to  ourselves,  becomes 
a  center  toward  which,  from  which,  or  with  which  our  ges- 
tures necessarily  move." 

Each  of  these  centers  mentioned  by  Delsarte  implies 
a  globe:  —  that  upon  which  we  stand,  and  that  about  us 
which  we  carry,  as  it  were,  upon  our  shoulders. 

So  far  as  our  relation  to  the  earth  is  concerned,  it  is 
limited  to  the  sky  above  us,  the  horizon  around  us,  and 
"the  earth  beneath  us";  so  that  in  expression  this  becomes 
practically  the  globe  above  us  —  the  realm  in  which  we 
"  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being."  This  globe  may  be 
divided  into  three  Zones  or  Planes  as  follows  :  —  i .  The 


INFLECTIONS    OF    THE    BODY. 


401 


Horizontal  Plane,  or  the  Plane  of  Equality  ;  2.  The  Elevated 
Plane  or  Plane  of  the  Superior;  3.  The  Downward  Plane  or 
Plane  of  the  Inferior. 

Adopting  this  more  recent  and  approved  terminology,  we 
do  no  violence  to  the  progress  of  thought  in  reproducing 
the  following  familiar  cut  from  Austin's  Chironomia. 


Fig.  36. 

I .    Plane  of  Equality. 

Let  the  horizontal  line  HH  represent  about  the  middle  of 
the  Plane  of  Equality.  This  is  man's  Normal  or  ordinary 
zone  in  which  his  personality  meets  and  deals  with  his 
fellow-man  and  the  material  things  about  him.  In  this  he 
locates  his  broad  fields,  the  institutions  and  industries  of 


4O2  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

his  country,  and  the  nation  which  he  upholds.  Here  he 
addresses  his  fellow-citizens  with  whom  he  holds  com- 
mercial and  social  intercourse. 

2.    Plane  of  the  Superior. 

The  horizontal  line  EE  represents  about  the  center  of  the 
Plane  of  the  Superior.  This  is  the  realm  of  the  ideal,  the 
high,  "the  good,  the  true  and  the  beautiful."  Hope,  faith, 
love,  beneficence,  patriotism,  triumph  and  liberty  require  gesture 
in  this  Plane.  It  is  the  imaginative  and  poetic  Plane. 
At  a  more  elevated  angle  it  represents  Heaven,  the  "many 
mansions"  of  the  Blest,  the  throne  of  God. 

3.    Plane  of  the  Inferior. 

The  line  DD  represents  about  the  middle  or  lower  sec- 
tion of  the  Plane  of  the  Inferior.  Gestures  putting  down 
that  which  is  low  and  contemptible  reach  their  culminating 
stroke  in  this  Plane.  Here  are  located  gloom,  doubt,  fear, 
sadness  and  the  uncertainties  of  life.  Malevolence,  hate,  revenge 
and  the  evil  passions  range  in  this  Plane.  The  Hades  of 
Dante  and  the  Hell  of  Milton  are  pictured  here.  It  is  the 
abode  of  the  Evil  One. 

It  matters  little  how  theological  and  psychological  thought 
may  change  with  each  succeeding  age,  the  above  analogies 
are  so  fixed  in  the  nature  and  order  of  things,  and  are  so 
deeply  rooted  in  human  nature  among  all  peoples,  that  they 
will  hold  good  for  the  practical  purposes  of  expression. 

II.    DIRECTION  OF  GESTURE. 

The  three  states  of  the  Being  are  manifested  not  only 
by  the  Zones,  Positions  and  Attitudes  of  the  body,  but 
through  three  modes  of  Motion  or  Gesture  which  Delsarte 
terms  Ecce?itric,  Concentric,  and  Normal  or  Poised}* 

1  We  prefer  Professor  Brown's  use  of  the  word  Poised  as  conveying  a  clearer 
meaning  in  the  sense  in  which  Delsarte  uses  the  word  Normal.  The  terms 


INFLECTIONS    OF    THE    BODY.  403 

i .   Eccentric. 

Eccentric  Movement  is  motion  from  a  center  outward. 
As  a  very  broad  and  liberal  classification  we  may  here 
accept  Delsarte's  classification  of  the  Eccentric  as  Vital. 
A  stroke  outward,  inflicting  a  blow,  is  Eccentric  in  direction, 
and  Vital  in  significance.  Any  Mental,  Emotive  or  Vital 
power  within,  bursting  through  its  environment  and  express- 
ing itself  in  Eccentric  action,  simply  reveals  its  vitality  or 

life. 

2.    Concentric. 

Concentric  Movement  is  Motion  from  without  in,  or  toward 
a  center.  This  is  reflective  in  its  nature,  and  corresponds 
to  the  Mental  state.  We  receive  external  impressions 
through  the  five  senses,  —  sight,  hearing,  smell,  touch,  and 
taste;  these  impressions  are  first  recorded  in  the  brain;  the 
intelligence  is  flashed  along  the  nerves,  and  the  hands,  in 
full  accord  with  the  nerves,  seek  the  Mental,  Emotive,  or 
Vital  zone  affected  by  the  external  influence.  The  direction 
of  the  gesture  is  Concentric  and  primarily  Mental. 

3.    Poised. 

Poised  or  Normal  Movement  is  simply  balanced  or  cen- 
tered motion.  Poised  movements  are  horizontal  and  are 
neither  Eccentric  nor  Concentric  relative  to  the  earth;  they 
are  motions  from  right  to  left,  neither  coming  nearer  nor 
departing  further  from  the  human  center,  hence  they  are 
neither  Eccentric  nor  Concentric  to  the  body.  In  short, 
they  are  Poised  in  relation  to  both  the  earth  center  and  the 
Ego  center.  They  have  more  to  do  with  the  relation  of  one 
external  object  to  another  than  with  the  psychic  states  of  the 
speaker,  though  in  certain  degrees  they  express  mentality, 
emotion,  or  vitality. 

Eccentric,  Concentric,  and  Poised  correspond  to  and  have  the  same  significance 
as  Centrifugal,  Centripetal,  and  Balanced  Force  used  in  astronomical  termi- 
nology. 


404  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

III.    EXTENSION  AND  DISTANCE  OF  GESTURE. 

With  the  above  facts  before  us  we  may  determine  the 
Extension  and  Distance  within  the  globe  about  us  as  implied 
by  the  combination  of  Planes  and  Direction  of  Gesture. 
These  are  expressed  in  relative  geometrical  terms  as  follows  : 
Lengths,  Breadths,  Heights,  and  Depths. 

An  Eccentric  gesture  from  any  given  zone  of  the  body 
toward  any  object  in  the  Plane  of  Equality  ;  or  a  correspond- 
ing Concentric  movement  toward  the  Ego,  gives  the  Lengths. 

A  gesture  from  right  to  left,  or  left  to  right,  and  hence 
Poised  relatively  to  the  Earth  center  and  Ego  center,  gives 
the  Breadths. 

In  Fig.  36  the  vertical  territory  assigned  to  the  Lengths  lies 
between  the  lines  ff  and  qqq  on  either  side  ;  that  assigned  to  the 
Breadths  lies  between  qqq  and  the  dotted  lines  on  either  side. 

An  upward  gesture,  Eccentric  relative  to  the  Earth  center, 
and  Poised  with  reference  to  the  Ego  gives  the  Heights. 

A  downward  gesture  which  is  Concentric  to  the  Earth 
and  Poised  as  to  the  Ego  gives  the  Depths. 

To  illustrate  further;  a  gesture  from  the  speaker  toward 
any  object  in  the  Plane  of  Equality  measures  the  Distance 
in  Lengths ;  a  gesture  directing  the  attention  from  any  one 
point  to  another  in  the  Plane  of  Equality  shows  Distance  in 
Breadths ;  a  gesture  from  a  lower  to  a  higher  Plane  gives 
Distance  in  Heights ;  a  gesture  from  the  Plane  of  Equality 
to  the  Plane  of  the  Inferior,  or  from  any  higher  to  a  lower 
Plane,  measures  Distance  in  Depths. 

There  are  also  combinations  of  these.  A  gesture  from 
left  to  right  in  the  Plane  of  the  Superior  gives  Breadths  in 
Heights ;  in  the  Plane  of  the  Inferior,  Breadths  in  Depths. 
A  gesture  on  the  right  or  left  from  a  lower  to  a  higher  Plane 
gives  Heights  in  Breadths  ;•  from  a  higher  to  a  lower,  Depths 
in  Breadths.  Adding  the  diagonal  Directions  we  have  an 
almost  endless  variety. 


INFLECTIONS    OF    THE    BODY.  405 

IV.    PRACTICAL  CONCLUSIONS. 

In  the  analysis  and  study  of  any  selection  or  speech  the 
student  should  keep  in  mind  the  harmony  of  all  these  prin- 
ciples. That  expression  which  grows  out  of  the  Mental 
nature  will  find  its  response  in  the  activities  of  the  Mental 
Agents  of  action.  In  the  opening  lines  of  Shakspeare's 
greatest  of  Mental  soliloquies,  Hamlet  may  stand  in  the 
First  or  Second  Position;  his  Index  or  Reflex  hand  taking 
a  Concentric  Direction,  rests  upon  his  upper  torso,  and  his 
head  is  bowed  forward  emphasizing  \i\sforehead  as  he  utters 
the  words  "  To  be  or  not  to  be,  that  is  the  question." 

That  expression  which  springs  out  of  the  Emotive  nature 
would  find  its  natural  channel  in  the  harmonious  action  of 
the  Emotive  Agents.  In  the  attitude  of  earnest,  fervent 
prayer,  the  knees  are  bent,  the  lower  leg  is  prostrated,  the 
hands  are  clasped  over  the  heart  in  the  middle  torso,  the 
elbows  are  extended,  and  the  emotive  part  of  the  face  is 
turned  upward  toward  Heaven. 

Any  expression  which  is  impelled  by  the  Vital  nature 
must  show  a  predominant  activity  of  the  Vital  Agents.  In 
the  attitude  of  striking  a  blow  in  vital  conflict  the  lower 
limbs  assume  the  Forward  Inclination  of  the  Third  Attitude, 
the  weight  of  the  shoulder-  is  thrown  forward,  the  fists  are 
clenched,  the  muscles  of  the  upper  arms  are  knotted,  and  the 
chin  and  jaw  are  extended  toward  the  enemy. 

For  the  guidance  of  the  student  in  the  application  of 
these  principles  of  action  we  here  subjoin  a  table  of  a 
dozen  combinations  giving  the  seven  Positions  of  the 
Hands  with  at  least  one  of  each  subdivision  of  Extension, 
Direction,  Zone  and  Plane.  This  table  might  be  continued 
almost  ad  infinitum  by  adding  the  expressions  of  the  Face, 
Inclinations  of  the  Head  and  Torso,  and  the  Positions  and 
Attitudes  of  the  Lower-limbs,  and  making  the  combinations 
of  each  with  all  the  others. 


406 


PRACTICAL   ELOCUTION. 


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INFLECTIONS    OF    THE    BODY.  407 

To  further  facilitate  the  use  of  this  table  we  give  twelve  illus- 
trations numbered  correspondingly,  containing  the  thought 
or  emotion  expressed  by  each  combination. 

1.  "There  stands  the  man  who  did  this  deed." 

2.  "Let  me  see  —  O,  now  I  recall  the  name  and  the  circum- 
stances." 

3.  "  May  God's  blessing  rest  upon  this  people  now  and  ever- 
more." 

4.  "  Am  I  a  coward  ?  "     "  Thus  conscience  does  make  cowards 
of  us  all."  —  Shakspeare. 

5.  "God    be    our   help."  —  Whittier.      "O   God,"    she    cries, 
"help  Bregenz  and  bring  me  there  in  time!"  —  Proctor. 

6.  "Down  with  the  slaves!"  —  Knoiules.      "A  bastard  soils, 
profanes  the  English  throne."  —  Schiller. 

7.  "  I   defy  the  honorable  gentleman."      "  My  answer  would 
be  a  blow."  —  Grattan.     "  Inhuman  wretch,  take  that !  and  that ! 
and  that ! " 

8.  "  O,  I  am  poisoned  !  " 

King  John.     There  is  so  hot  a  summer  in  my  bosom, 
That  all  my  bowels  crumble  up  to  dust.  Shakspeare. 

Falstajf.  "  Give  me  a  cup  of  sack,  .  „  .  you  rogue,  there's 
lime  in  this  sack  !  "  —  Shakspeare. 

9.  "Out  of  my  sight,  thou  demon  of  bad  news  !"  —  Aldrich. 
"  Hence,   horrible    shadow  !    unreal  mockery,  hence  !  "  —  Shaks- 
peare. 

10.  "  Climb  up  those  rocks  and  scale  yon  ivied  wall."     "  I  love 
the  sea  when  it  flings  its  foam  up  to  the  stars."  —  Halm. 

n.  "  Ah  !  and  behold,  there  rolls  the  sea."  —  Halm.  "  Within 
our  territory,  stretching  through  many  degrees  of  latitude  and 
longitude  we  have  the  choice  of  many  products  and  many  means 
of  independence."  —  Story. 

1 2.  "  And  then,  looking  over  her  shoulder  with  her  whole  brave, 
womanly  heart  in  her  swimming  eyes,  she  put  out  her  hand  and 
said,  «  Come  along,  Dave  ! '  "  —  Kate  Douglas  Wiggin. 


CHAPTER   III.  — TECHNIQUE   OF   ACTION. 

That  the  student  may  have  ample  practice  in  the  principles 
of  action,  we  here  give  a  series  of  exercises  in  technique  of 
action. 

These  are  given  not  for  the  physical  culture  implied  in 
them,  but  for  their  expressional  value.  To  avoid  the  mechani- 
cal or  inexpressive  features  that  are  often  seen  in  exercises 
in  technique,  the  student  should  keep  in  mind  the  thought  or 
feeling  implied  in  the  various  movements.  In  short,  the  same 
directions  which  have  been  given  regarding  Mento-vocal 
culture  (p.  39)  might  be  repeated  here  for  Mento-action  culture. 


SECTION   L  — POSITIONS. 

I.   First  Position  Right  and  Left.     (Figs.  24  and  25.) 

(1)  Make  a  change  from  the  First  Position  Right  to  the 
First  Position  Left  by  stepping  the  left  foot  forward. 

(2)  Change  from  the  First  Position  Left  to  the  First  Posi- 
tion Right  by  stepping  the  left  foot  backward.     Alternate 
exercises  (i)  and  (2)  several   times,   stopping  in   the  First 
Position  Left. 

(3)  Make  the  above  changes  by  moving  the  right  foot  only. 

(4)  Step  forward  and  backward  a  few  paces,  preserving 
approximately  the  angle  required  for  the  First  Position  Right 

and  Left;  see  pages  388  and  389. 

(5)  Starting  with  the  First  Position 
Right,  indicated  by  LCD  A  in  Fig.  37, 
lift  the  heels  slightly  and  turn  to  the 
First  Position  RTEU.  Alternate 
RTEU  and  LGDA  a  number  of  times. 

This  is  an  easy  change,  but  the  student 
is  cautioned  against  using  it  habitually 


POSITIONS. 


409 


on   the  platform.     Changes  by  steps  attract  less  attention 
and  are  therefore  more  desirable. 

2.  First  and  Second  Positions  Right.    (Figs.  24  and  26.) 

(1)  Change  from  the  First  Position   Right  to  the  Second 
Position  Right  by  stepping  the  right  foot  forward  half  its 
length  as  indicated  in  Fig.  38. 

Return  to  the  First  Position 
Right.  Repeat  the  exercise 
a  number  of  times,  keeping 
the  body  erect  and  carrying 
the  weight  easily  from  one 
foot  to  the  other. 

(2)  Change  from  the  First 
Position  Right  to  the  Second 
Position   Right  by  stepping 
in  the  Lengths  about  twice 
the   length   of    the   foot,  as 

indicated  in  Fig.  39.     Repeat  the  exercise  several  times. 

(3)  Change  from  the  First  Position  Right  to  the  Second 
Position    Right   by   stepping  in  the 

Breadths  to  the  right,  as  indicated  in 
Fig.  40.  Return  to  the  First  Position 
Right.  Repeat  the  exercise  several 
times. 

3.  First  Position  Left  and  Second 
Position  Left.     (Figs.  25  and  27.) 

(1)  Change  from  the  First  Position 
Left  to  the  Second  Position  Left  by 
stepping  forward  half  the  length  of 
the  foot,  —  the  converse  of  the  action 
shown  in  Fig.  38.    Return  to  the  First 
Position  Left.     Repeat  several  times. 

(2)  Do  the  same  by  stepping  for- 
ward twice  the  length  of  the  foot.  Re- 
turn as  before.    Repeat  several  times,  j^.  39t 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


(3)  Make  the  same  change  by  stepping  in  Breadths  to  the 
left,  —  the  converse  of  the  action  shown  in  Fig.  40.  Return 

to  the  First  Position  Left. 
Repeat  several  times. 

4.  Second  Position  Right 
and  Left.  (Figs.  2 6  and  27.) 
(i)  Move  forward  alter- 
nately to  the  Second  Posi- 
tion Right  and  Second 
Position  Left  by  stepping 
each  time  about  the  length 
of  the  foot  Retrace  the 
steps  by  moving  backward,  and  see  that  the  Positions  are 
equally  as  good  as  those  made  in  advancing. 

(2)  Move  forward  alternately  in  these  two  Positions  by 
stepping  as  in  ordinary  walking.  Halt  each  step  with  the 
weight  on  the  forward  foot.  Retrace  and  lengthen  the  steps 
by  moving  backward  in  the  First  Position  Right  and  Left 
extended. 

SECTION   II.  — ATTITUDES. 

1.  First  Attitude  Right  and  Left.     (Figs.  29  and  30.) 

(1)  Change  from  the  First  Attitude  Right  to  the  First 
Attitude  Left  by  stepping  in  Lengths,  moving  the  left  foot 
only. 

(2)  Change  by  moving  the  right  foot  only. 

(3)  In  the  same  manner  move  forward  and  backward  a 
few  paces,  preserving  approximately  the  angle  required  for 
these  Attitudes.     See  pages  390  and  391. 

2.  First  Attitude  Right  and  Second  Attitude  Right. 
(Figs.  29,  31,  and  33.) 

(i)  Change  from  the  First  Attitude  Right  to  the  Second 
Attitude  Right  (Forward  Inclination)  by  stepping  the  right 
foot  forward  the  foot's  length,  and  bending  the  right  knee. 
For  the  Backward  Inclination  bend  the  left  knee,  turn  the 


ATTITUDES.  411 

left  foot  a  little,  and  straighten  the  right  knee.  Practice 
alternately  several  times  the  Forward  and  Backward  Inclina- 
tions. Return  to  the  First  Attitude  Right. 

(2)  Do  the  same  by  stepping  twice  the  foot's  length  for- 
ward.    Return  to  the  First  Attitude  Right. 

(3)  Change  from  the  First  Attitude  Right  to  the  Second 
Attitude  Right  by  stepping  in  the  Breadths  to  the  right  in 
a  similar  manner  as  indicated  in  Fig.  40.     Bend  the  right 
and  left  knees  alternately   in  the  Forward  and  Backward 
Inclinations  of  this  attitude. 

3.  First    Attitude    Left    and    Second   Attitude  Left. 
(Figs.  30,  32,  and  34.) 

(1)  Change  from  the  First  Attitude  Left  to  the  Second 
Attitude   Left  (Forward   Inclination)  by  stepping  the  left 
foot  forward  its  length  and  bending  the  left  knee.     For  the 
Backward  Inclination  bend  the  right  knee,  turn  the  right 
foot  a  little,  and  straighten  the  left  knee.     Practice  these 
inclinations  alternately  several  times.     Return  to  the  First 
Attitude  Left. 

(2)  Do  the  same  by  stepping  forward  twice  the  length 
of  the  foot  from  the  Second.     Return  to  the  First  Attitude 
Left. 

(3)  Make  the  same  changes  by  stepping  in  Breadths  to 
the  left  in  a  similar  manner  as  indicated  in  Fig.  40.     Bend 
the  right  and  left  knees  alternately  in  the  Forward  and 
Backward  Inclinations  of  this  Attitude. 

4.  Second  Attitudes  Right  and  Left.    (Figs.  31  and  32.) 

(1)  Move  forward  alternately  in  these  Attitudes  by  step- 
ping about  three  times  the  length  of  the  foot  and  bending 
the  forward  knee  each  time.     Observe  that  these  Attitudes 
are  given  with  the  Forward  Inclination  only.     Retrace  the 
steps  by  moving  backward,  extending  the  reach  and  forming 
the  Second  Position  Right  and  Left. 

(2)  Change  by  moving  forward  alternately  as  in  the  pre- 
ceding exercise  by  yet  longer  strides.     Retrace  the  steps. 


412  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

SECTION   III.  — GESTURES. 

I.    EXERCISES. 

1.  Hand  Index. 

(1)  Give  the  Index  in  the  Plane  of  the  Superior  with  five 
strokes  at  different  points  in  Lengths  and  Breadths. 

(2)  Give  the  same  in  the  Plane  of  Equality. 

(3)  Give  the  same  in  the  Plane  of  the  Inferior. 

(4)  Give  three   strokes   in   Depths,   beginning  with   the 
Plane  of  the  Superior  and  making  a  stroke  in  each  Plane. 
Repeat  at  different  angles  in  Lengths  and  Breadths. 

(5)  Give   three   strokes   in    Heights  beginning  with   the 
Plane  of  the  Inferior  and  making  a  stroke  in  each  Plane. 
Repeat  in  different  angles  as  in  (4). 

2.  Give  the  Hand  Supine,  Hand  Prone,  Hand  Averse, 
and  Hand  Clenched  after  the  same  manner. 

3.  Hand  Reflex. 

(1)  Give  the  Hand   Reflex  to  the   Mental  zone  of  the 
face,  the  Emotive  zone,  the  Vital  zone. 

(2)  Give  Hand  Reflex  to  the  Mental  Torso,  the  Emotive 
Torso,  the  Vital  Torso. 

4.  Hands  Clasped. 

(1)  Give  Hands  Clasped  on  the  Mental  Torso,  the  Emo- 
tive Torso,  the  Vital  Torso. 

(2)  Give  Hands  Clasped  in  front  of  the  Emotive  Torso. 
Wring  them  as  in  anguish. 

5.  Practice   consecutively  with  positive   strokes  the  fol- 
lowing Principles  of  the  Hand  in  the  Plane  of  Equality  in 
Lengths;  Hand  Index,  Hand  Supine,  Hand  Prone,  Hand 
Averse,  and  Hand  Clenched. 

6.  Practice  the  Principles  of  the  Hand  in  the  following 
order  : 

(i)    Hand  Supine,  in  Lengths,  Plane  of  Equality. 


GESTURES.  413 

(2)  Hand  Reflex,  on  Mental  Torso. 

(3)  Hand  Index,  in  Lengths,  Plane  of  Equality. 

(4)  Hand  Prone,  in  Heights,  Plane  of  Superior. 

(5)  Hand  Averse,  in  Breadths,  Plane  of  Inferior. 

(6)  Hands  Clasped,  on  Emotive  Torso. 

(7)  Hand  Clenched,  in  Depths,  Plane  of  Inferior. 

APPLICATION  TO  SENTENCES. 

In  presenting  the  following  sentences  for  practice,  we 
would  not  be  understood  to  infer  that  the  principle  of  the 
hand  suggested  in  each  case  is  the  only  one  that  might  be 
used.  We  have  indicated  the  principle  which  seems  to  us 
best  suited  to  the  thought  or  emotion : 

1.  Hand  Index. 

From  HAMLET.    Act  III,  Scene  4. 

Look  here  upon  this  picture,  and  on  this.  —  Shakspeare. 

• 

From  JULIUS  CiESAR.    Act  I,  Scene  i. 
You,  sir,  what  trade  are  you  !  —  Shakspeare. 

From  HAMLET.     Act  III,  Scene  3. 

Do  you  see  yonder  cloud  that's  almost  in  shape  of  a  camel  ?  — 
Shakspeare. 

2.  Hand  Supine. 

From  MACBETH.    Act  I,  Scene  5. 
What  is  your  tidings  ?  —  Shakspeare. 


From  VIRGINrtTS.    Act  II,  Scene  2. 

Welcome  Icilius  !  —  Welcome,  friends  !  — Knowles. 


4H  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

From  JULIUS  CJESAR.    Act  II,  Scene  i. 

O  ye  gods 
Render  me  worthy  of  this  noble  wife. 

Shakspeare. 

3.   Hand  Prone. 

From  IlfGOMAR.    Act  I,  Scene  i. 
No  !  thou  shalt  remain  with  me.  —  Halm. 


From  APPEAL  IN  BEHALF  OF  IRELAND. 

He  draws  his  lines  round  the  doomed  garrison      He  cuts  off 
all  supplies.  —  Prentiss. 


From  INGOMAR.    Act  IV,  Scene  i. 

Hold,  hold  !  that  is  to  danger,  —  see  you  not  ?  —  Halm. 

4.   Hand  Reflex. 

• 

From  HAMLET.    Act  I,  Scene  5. 

Hold,  hold  my  heart  ; 
And  you,  my  sinews,  grow  not  instant  old 
But  bear  me  stiffly  up.  Shakspeare. 


From  ROMEO  AND  JULIET.    Act  II,  Scene  2. 

And  for  that  name,  which  is  no  part  of  thee, 

Take  all  myself.  Shakspeare. 


From  VTRGIfllUS.    Act  I,  Scene  2. 

O,  I  have  loved  thee  long: 
So  much  the  more  ecstatic  my  delight, 

To  find  thee  mine  at  length  ! 

Knowles. 


GESTURES.  415 

5.  Hands  Clasped. 

From  MACLAHfE'S  CHILD. 

O,  spare  my  child,  my  joy,  my  pride  !  —  MacKay. 

From  The  Famine  —  HIAWATHA. 

Gitche  Manito,  the  Mighty  ! 

Give  your  children  food,  O  Father ! 
Give  us  food,  or  we  must  perish  ! 
Give  me  food  for  Minnehaha, 
For  my  dying  Minnehaha  ! 

Longfellow. 

From  VIRGINIUS.     Act  IV,  Scene  2. 

O,  bless  you,  bless  you  ! 
My  father!  my  dear  father  !  Art  thou  not 
My  father  ?  Knowles. 

6.  Hand  Averse. 

From  MACBETH.    Act  III,  Scene  4. 

Avaunt  !  and  quit  my  sight  !  let  the  earth  hide  thee  ! 

Shakspeare. 

From  INGOMAR.     Act  I,  Scene  i. 

Go,  go,  thou  selfish  and  ungrateful  child  ! — Halm. 

From  APPEAL  IN  BEHALF  Of  IRELAND. 

He  hates  his  fellow-men,  and  glares  upon  them  with  the  longing 
of  a  cannibal.  —  Prentiss. 

7.  Hand  Clenched. 

From  MACBETH.    Act  V,  Scene  5. 

I  will  not  yield, 
To  kiss  the  ground  beneath  young  Malcom's  feet. 

Shakspeare. 


41 6  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

From  JULIUS  CAESAR.     Act  III,  Scene  3. 
Woe  to  the  hands  that  shed  this  costly  blood.  —  Shakspearc. 

From  SUPPOSED  SPEECH  OF  JOHN  ADAMS. 

The  war,  then,  must  go  on.   We  must  fight  it  through.  — Webster. 


SECTION   IV.  — SELECTIONS    FOR   ANALYSIS. 

In  the  analysis  of  the  following  selections  for  action  the 
student  will  find  opportunity  for  the  application  of  all  the 
principles  he  has  studied;  and  there  is  no  occasion  for  con- 
fusion in  the  myriad  combinations  and  blends  of  gesture  in 
expression.  The  opportunities  for  variety  of  action  are 
simply  boundless,  and  this  fact  makes  the  vice  of  allowing 
a  few  meaningless  movements  of  the  hand  and  arm  to 
become  the  fixed  habit  of  a  speaker,  all  the  more  repre- 
hensible. In  this,  our  last  exercise,  we  would  repeat  the 
caution  that  as  expression  depends  primarily  upon  concep- 
tion, and  conceptions  differ,  so  we  may  expect  different 
applications  of  the  principles  of  action.  Individuality  has 
ample  room  to  assert  itself  and  at  the  same  time  conform 
to  the  laws  underlying  all  correct  action. 

From  ABOU  BE*  ADEEM. 
Abou  Ben  Adhem  (may  his  tribe  increase  !) 
Awoke  one  night  from  a  deep  dream  of  peace, 
And  saw  within  the  moonlight  in  his  room, 
Making  it  rich,  and  like  a  lily  in  bloom, 
An  angel  writing  in  a  book  of  gold  :  — 
Exceeding  peace  had  made  Ben  Adhem  bold  ; 
And  to  the  presence  in  the  room  he  said, 
"  What  writest  thou  ?  "  —  The  vision  raised  its  head, 
And  with  a  look  made  all  of  sweet  accord, 
Answered,  "  The  names  of  those  who  love  the  Lord." 
"  And  is  mine  one  ?  "  said  Abou.     "  Nay,  not  so," 
Replied  the  angel.     Abou  spoke  more  low, 


SELECTIONS    FOR    ANALYSIS.  417 

But  cheerily  still  ;  and  said,  "  I  pray  thee  then, 

Write  me  as  one  who  loves  his  fellow-men." 

The  angel  wrote,  and  vanished.     The  next  night 
It  came  again  with  a  great  wakening  light, 

And  showed  the  names  whom  love  of  God  had  blessed, 

And  lo  !  Ben  Adhem's  name  led  all  the  rest. 

Leigh  Hunt. 

From  JULIUS  (XffiSAR.    Act  III,  Scene  2. 

Brutus.  Romans,  countrymen,  and  lovers  !  hear  me  for  my 
cause  ;  and  be  silent,  that  you  may  hear  :  believe  me  for  mine  honor  ; 
and  have  respect  to  mine  honor,  that  you  may  believe  :  censure 
me  in  your  wisdom  ;  and  awake  your  senses,  that  you  may  the 
better  judge.  If  there  be  any  in  this  assembly,  any  dear  friend  of 
Caesar's,  to  him  I  say  that  Brutus'  love  to  Caesar  was  no  less 
than  his.  If,  then,  that  friend  demand,  why  Brutus  rose  against 
Caesar,  this  is  my  answer, -V  Not  that  I  loved  Caesar  less,  but 
that  I  loved  Rome  more.  Had  you  rather  Caesar  were  living, 
and  die  all  slaves,  than  that  Caesar  were  dead,  to  live  all  free- 
men ?  As  Caesar  loved  me,  I  weep  for  him  ;  as  he  was  fortunate, 
I  rejoice  at  it  ;  as  he  was  valiant,  I  honor  him  ;  but,  as  he  was 
ambitious,  I  slew  him.  There  is  tears  for  his  love  ;  joy  for  his 
fortune  ;  honor  for  his  valor  ;  and  death  for  his  ambition.  Who 
is  here  so  base  that  would  be  a  bondman?  If  any,  speak;  for 
him  have  I  offended.  Who  is  here  so  rude  that  would  not  be  a 
Roman?  If  any,  speak  ;  for  him  have  I  offended.  Who  is  here 
so  vile  that  will  not  love  his  country?  If  any,  speak;  for  him 
have  I  offended.  I  pause  for  a  reply. 

Citizens.     None,  Brutus,  none. 

Bru.  Then  none  have  I  offended.  I  have  done  no  more  to 
Caesar,  than  you  should  do  to  Brutus.  The  question  of  his  death 
is  enrolled  in  the  Capital :  his  glory  not  extenuated,  wherein  he  was 
worthy  ;  nor  his  offences  enforced,  for  which  he  suffered  death. 
Here  comes  his  body,  mourned  by  Mark  Antony  ;  who,  though 
he  had  no  hand  in  his  death,  shall  receive  the  benefit  of  his  dying, 
a  place  in  the  commonwealth  ;  as  which  of  you  shall  not?  With 
this  I  depart,  —  That,  as  I  slew  my  best  lover  for  the  good  of 
Rome,  I  have  the  same  dagger  for  myself,  when  it  shall  please  my 
country  to  need  my  death.  —  Shakspeare. 


APPENDIX. 

BY   JAMES    W.    BASHFORD,    B.D.,    PH.D. 


ORATORY. 


INTRODUCTION. 


I.     DEFINITION. 

Eloquence  in  its  literal  meaning  is  the  speaking  out  of 
that  which  is  within  one.  This  definition  expresses  simply 
the  impulse  to  utterance  which  characterizes  the  orator.  It 
does  not  state  the  aim  of  his  speech.  Herbert  Spencer 
goes  a  step  farther  and  defines  rhetoric  as  the  art  of  mental 
transportation.  He  recognizes  the  hearer  to  whom  the  truth 
is  to  be  conveyed  as  well  as  the  speaker  who  utters  his 
convictions.  But  Spencer's  definition  does  not  recognize 
the  end  of  eloquence.  The  orator  is  indeed  a  carrier  of  the 
truth.  But  he  is  engaged  in  something  more  than  a  mental 
postal  service.  He  is  not  content  simply  to  convey  his 
thoughts  to  another  mind  and  leave  them  at  its  door.  He 
aims  rather  to  make  his  purposes  enter  into  and  become  a 
part  of  the  persons  to  whom  he  speaks.  Eloquence  is  the 
art  of  spiritual  reproduction,  rather  than  of  spiritual  trans- 
portation. It  is  measured  by  the  success  of  the  speaker  in 
making  his  thought  and  feeling  and  will  become  incarnate 
in  other  lives. 

II.     DIVISIONS   OF  THE   SUBJECT. 
i.    FIRST  QUESTION. 

Before  turning  to  the  text-books  for  the  divisions  of  our 
theme,  let  us  attempt  to  reach  them  by  the  method  of 
experiment.  Were  I  to  invite  each  reader  to  deliver  an 


422  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

address,  the  first  question  which  would  arise  in  your  mind 
would  relate  to  your  personal  fi tness  for  the  task.  In  other 
words,  you  would  regard  the  invitation  from  a  personal 
point  of  view.  This  consideration  is  appropriate,  because 
personality  is  an  essential  element  of  eloquence. 

2.   SECOND  QUESTION. 

But  if  you  feel  that  in  favorable  circumstances  you  could 
influence  people  through  speech,  a  second  question  would 
arise  before  you  would  accept  the  invitation  to  make  an 
address,  namely :  What  am  I  to  speak  about  ?  Am  I  to 
lecture  upon  politics,  or  literature,  or  history,  or  art,  or 
religion  ?  You  might  readily  consent  to  bring  one  message 
to  an  audience  and  decline  to  treat  another  subject  in 
public.  The  second  question,  therefore,  relates  to  the 
matter  of  the  discourse.  Thus  the  matter  or  the  truth 
to  be  presented  becomes  the  second  division  of  oratory. 

3.    THIRD  QUESTION. 

But  if  you  have  had  experience  in  speaking,  or  if  you 
have  a  genius  for  the  work,  you  will  ask  a  third  question, 
relating  to  the  audience  and  to  the  occasion.  Is  the  audience 
composed  of  children  or  adults?  What  is  its  degree  of 
cultivation  ?  What  is  the  occasion  which  brings  the  people 
together  ?  Have  they  come  for  instruction,  for  encouragement 
or  for  entertainment  ?  The  third  question,  therefore,  relates 
to  the  nature  and  condition  of  the  audience.  As,  however, 
the  speaker  cannot  make  or  change  occasions,  we  may  say 
that  the  third  element  of  success  consists  in  his  art  in  find- 
ing a  suitable  message  for  the  occasion  and  in  adapting  the 
matter  of  his  discourse  to  the  audience. 

A  score  of  other  questions  may  arise  in  regard  to  public 
speaking,  relating  to  the  time,  place,  compensation,  etc.,  etc. 
But  all  these  questions  can  be  referred  to  one  of  the  three 


ORATORY.  423 

divisions  already  named.     They  affect  either  the  messenger, 
the  message,  or  the  masses. 

4.    CRITICISM, 

An  analysis  of  criticism  will  also  show  that  critics  uncpn- 
sciously  adopt  these  three  divisions  of  the  subject.  How- 
ever numerous  and  varied  the  opinions  which  one  hears 
pronounced  upon  public  speakers,  he  will  find  that  they 
invariably  consist  of  an  estimate  of  the  orator,  or  they 
relate  to  the  matter  of  his  discourse,  or  they  refer  to  his 
delivery. 

Inasmuch,  therefore,  as  we  have  found  the  three  elements 
entering  into  oratory,  let  us  call  them  by  the  more  abstract 
but  inclusive  terms,  Personality,  Truth,  and  Art. 

5.   ANCIENT  RHETORICAL  WORKS. 

If  we  now  turn  to  the  standard  text-books  on  Rhetoric,  we 
shall  find  one  or  more  of  these  divisions  of  our  subject 
recognized  by  each.  Aristotle  wrote  a  book  which  the 
Britannica  pronounces  the  most  scientific  work  on  rhetoric 
yet  produced.  Aristotle's  two  divisions  of  the  subject  are : 
Invention,  and  Style.  Invention  relates  to  the  gathering 
of  the  matter  of  the  discourse  by  reading  and  observation, 
and  to  the  development  of  the  discourse  by  thinking. 
Under  Style,  Aristotle  treats  of  the  arrangement  of  the  matter, 
and  its  adaptation  to  the  audience.  His  work,  therefore, 
covers  our  last  two  divisions  of  the  subject.  Quintilian 
quotes  in  his  Institutio  Oratoria  Cato's  maxim  "  The  orator 
is  the  good  man  who  is  skilled  in  speaking."  The 
author  also  tells  us  how  the  orator  may  develop  a  good 
character.  He  treats  the  whole  subject  of  education, 
especially  of  moral  culture,  as  essential  to  the  highest  suc- 
cess in  public  speaking.  Quintilian  thus  lays  stress  upon 
personality. 


424  .         PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

6.   MODERN  TEXT-BOOKS. 

Most  modern  writers  on  rhetoric  repeat  the  two  divisions 
of  Aristotle.  The  most  marked  exception,  perhaps,  is 
Whately,  whose  Elements  of  Rhetoric  is  recognized  by  the 
Britannica  as  the  best  modern  text-book  upon  this  subject. 
Whately's  four  divisions  are :  The  Understanding ;  The 
Will;  Style;  Delivery  or  Elocution. 

A  little  study  of  Whately's  divisions  shows  that  the  first 
two  refer  to  the  speaker  and  the  second  two  relate  to  the 
adaptation  of  the  message  to  the  audience.  A  study  of  his 
chapters  on  the  Understanding  will  also  show  that  under 
this  head  he  includes  much  that  Aristotle  presents  under 
Invention,  or  the  preparation  of  the  message.  A  few  of  the 
more  suggestive  modern  text-books  emphasize  one  or  more 
of  these  three  elements  to  the  exclusion  of  the  rest.  Spen- 
cer's essay  upon  The  Philosophy  of  Style  treats  only  of  our 
third  division.  Previous  to  Mr.  Spencer's  essay,  style  or 
art  in  Rhetoric  had  been  treated  almost  exclusively  with 
reference  to  the  ideal  form  of  the  composition.  Spencer 
brings  out  the  neglected  element  of  adaptation  to  the 
audience.  He  defines  that  style  as  best  which  conveys  the. 
thought  to  the  hearers  with  the  least  possible  effort  upon 
their  part.  Mr.  Spencer's  definition  emphasizes  exclusively 
the  third  division  of  oratory  or  art.  He  treats  this  division 
somewhat  narrowly.  He  pays  no  attention  to  art  as  the 
ideal  form  of  thought  or  emotion,  but  limits  himself  wholly 
to  the  adaptation  of  the  thought  to  the  audience.  Even  in . 
this  subdivision  of  art,  his  rule  is  not  universal.  In  general 
it  is  indeed  well  to  express  one's  thought  in  such  a  form  as 
to  demand  the  least  possible  effort  upon  the  part  of  the 
hearers  for  its  comprehension.  But  it  is  sometimes  better 
to  stimulate  hearers  and  especially  students  by  a  hard 
saying  which  demands  mental  effort  on  their  part  for  its 
mastery.  Browning  and  Emerson  are  not  always  clear ;  but 


ORATORY.  42  5 

they  are  often  more  helpful  than  Addison  and  Macaulay. 
Style,  however,  had  been  treated  by  Mr.  Spencer's  prede- 
cessors as  relating  so  exclusively  to  the  ideal  form  of  the 
composition,  so/  little  attention  had  been  paid  to  the 
audience,  that  Mr.  Spencer's  essay  is  the  freshest  modern 
contribution  to  rhetoric ;  and  indeed  was  regarded  for  a 
time  as  furnishing  a  new  basis  for  the  art  of  writing  and 
speaking.  Abbott's  valuable  little  book :  How  to  Write 
Clearly  presents  as  an  art  what  Mr.  Spencer's  essay  pre- 
sented as  a  philosophy. 

As  Spencer  has  emphasized  the  principle  of  adapta- 
tion exclusively,  so  Theremin  in  his  suggestive  volume  : 
Eloquence  a  Virtue,  not  an  Art,  lays  supreme  stress  on  the 
personal  element  in  the  orator.  In  this  regard  he  goes  back 
to  Cicero  and  Quintilian  and  Socrates,  and  emphasizes 
what  seems  to  us  to  be  an  essential  element  of  successful 
speaking. 

Upon  the  whole  the  most  valuable  treatise  upon  public 
speaking  with  which  we  are  familiar  is  Phillips  Brooks' 
Yale  Lectures  on  Preaching.  In  the  first  lecture  Mr.  Brooks 
names  two  elements  of  successful  preaching,  namely  :  The 
Man  and  the  Message.  He  then  devotes  the  second 
and  third  lectures  to  the  preacher  and  the  fourth  and 
fifth  lectures  to  the  sermon.  If  only  these  two  elements 
enter  into  preaching  the  volume  would  naturally  close  with 
the  fifth  lecture.  But  Mr.  Brooks  added  three  more  lect- 
ures :  one  upon  The  Congregation,  one  upon  The  Ministry 
for  Our  Age,  and  one  upon  The  Value  of  the  Human  Soul. 
These  three  lectures  bear  directly  upon  our  third  division 
of  oratory.  Mr.  Brooks  defines  preaching  as  the  presenta- 
tion of  truth  through  man  to  men.  The  definition  and  the 
treatment  of  the  subject  are  broader  than  the  introduction, 
and  present  the  three  elements  which  we  have  already 
discovered  :  The  Speaker,  the  Truth,  and  the  Audience. 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


7.   COLLEGE  TRAINING. 

This  threefold  division  of  the  subject  finds  its  best 
defence  in  the  practical  advice  which  professional  men 
give  to  a  young  man  who  desires  to  win  the  highest  success 
in  the  learned  professions.  The  young  man  is  urged  to 
secure  first  a  college  training.  But  education,  as  the  word 
itself  implies,  aims  simply  to  draw  out  all  the  latent  powers 
existing  in  the  person.  Its  primary  object  is  the  develop- 
ment of  the  largest  possible  manhood  which  may  later  be 
turned  into  lawyer,  minister,  physician,  editor,  etc. 

8.    PROFESSIONAL  TRAINING. 

But  a  college  bred  young  man  is  not  yet  fit  for  the  law 
or  medicine.  He  is  next  urged  to  attend  a  professional 
school.  Professional  training  differs  from  college  training 
in  that  it  lays  stress  on  the  second  element  in  oratory. 
The  professional  school  indeed  furnishes  some  mental 
discipline,  just  as  the  college  course  imparts  some  knowl- 
edge. But  as  the  aim  of  the  college  is  mental  discipline, 
so  the  aim  of  the  professional  school  is  knowledge.  The 
college  develops  the  personality  of  the  student.  The 
professional  school  presents  the  principles  of  law  or  of 
theology  which  guide  in  the  construction,  and  often  enter 
into  the  substance,  of  later  addresses. 

9.    PRACTICE. 

When  the  young  man  has  completed  his  course  at  college 
and  at  the  professional  school,  he  is  not  a  great  lawyer  or 
physician  or  teacher.  What  lacks  he  yet?  The  skill  in 
adaptation  which  comes  from  practice.  This  is  the  finest 
and  most  delicate  part  of  one's  training.  The  presence  or 
absence  of  this  element  often  leads  to  a  reversal  of  the 
estimate  formed  of  students  in  the  college  or  the  profes- 


ORATORY.  427 

sional  school.  We  see,  therefore,  in  the  three  courses 
demanded  for  the  training  of  young  men  for  professional 
life  to-day,  the  three  elements  of  oratory,  namely :  Person- 
ality, Truth,  and  Art. 

III.     CLASSIFICATION   OF   PROFESSIONS, 
i.   THE  MINISTRY. 

The  presence  of  each  of  these  elements  is  essential  to 
the  highest  success  in  authorship,  in  teaching,  or  in  speak- 
ing. Were  we  classifying  the  professions  with  reference  to 
the  predominance  of  one  of  these  qualities,  however,  we 
should  name  the  ministry  as  the  profession  in  which  the 
personal  element  is  most  essential  to  success.  Whatever 
else  the  minister  possesses  or  lacks  he  must  be  strong  in 
character.  Were  his  character  destroyed,  his  mastery  of 
spiritual  truth  would  indeed  be  impaired ;  for  truth  is 
usually  distorted  in  passing  through  the  mind  of  the 
wrong-doer.  Nevertheless  a  fallen  minister  might  retain 
a  correct  theology  and  great  art.  But  when  his  reputa- 
tion for  character  is  destroyed,  his  career  as  a  minister  is 
at  an  end  ;  because  in  this  profession  character  is  essential 
to  success. 

2.    LAW  AND  SCIENCE. 

The  second  element,  the  mastery  of  the  truth,  is  most 
essential  to  success  in  the  law  and  in  the  sciences.  Lack 
of  character  will  indeed  prevent  the  lawyer  reaching  the 
highest  and  most  permanent  success.  It  will  lessen  his 
influence  with  the  jury  and  the  judge,  and  will  eventually 
affect  his  vision  of  the  truth.  But  if  the  advocate  have 
the  law  and  the  facts  upon  his  side,  the  judge  and  jury 
must  give  him  the  verdict,  however  much  they  may  despise 
his  character.  The  same  mastery  of  the  subject  in  hand 
is  also  the  essential  condition  of  success  in  science.  The 
great  scientists  are  indeed  so  engrossed  in  the  search  for 


428  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

truth  that  usually  they  are  saved  from  evil  practices.  But 
Bacon,  who  made  perhaps  the  greatest  contribution  to 
modern  science,  was  not  a  man  of  the  loftiest  character. 
Upon  the  other  hand,  however  pure  the  character  of  the 
lawyer  or  the  scientist  and  however  great  the  art  of  each 
as  an  expositor,  permanent  success  in  these  professions 
cannot  be  won  without  the  mastery  of  the  subject  in  hand. 
If,  therefore,  personality  is  essential  to  the  minister,  the 
mastery  of  truth  is  essential  to  the  lawyer  and  to  the 
scientist. 

3.   TEACHING. 

Art  is  essential  to  the  teacher.  The  great  educator  is 
indeed  a  man  of  superior  character  and  a  master  of  great 
truths.  But  the  mastery  of  truth  and  character  may  be 
present  without  making  the  person  a  successful  instructor. 
Professor  Benjamin  Pierce  of  Harvard  was  one  of  the 
ablest  mathematicians  America  has  produced.  But  we 
have  been  told  that  he  was  not  a  successful  instructor, 
because  his  teaching  was  usually  above  the  capacity  of 
his  students.  Hegel  was  a  man  of  superior  character. 
He  was  also  one  of  the  profoundest  philosophers  of 
modern  times.  But  he  once  remarked  to  a  class  in  the 
University  of  Berlin  :  "  Only  one  man  present  understands 
me."  After  a  pause  he  added:  "And  he  does  not  fully 
comprehend  my  meaning."  If  the  philosopher's  state- 
ment was  true,  the  fact  simply  proved  his  lack  of  art  in 
teaching.  His  writings  also  lack  clearness,  and  reveal 
inadequate  art  in  presenting  truth,  if,  indeed,  they  do  not 
show  a  lack  of  clearness  in  the  comprehension  of  the 
subject.  Hence  Hegel  is  a  suggestive  writer,  but  not  a 
clear  expositor.  The  great  teacher  is  the  person  who  can 
first  find  the  platform  of  his  students,  and  then  lead  them 
step  by  step  from  their  lower  position  up  to  his  higher 
position.  This  requisite  for  successful  teaching  accounts 


ORATORY.  429 

for  the  fact  that  men  seldom  teach  best  the  subjects  which 
they  learn  most  easily.  It  is  only  those  who  have  encoun- 
tered difficulties  themselves  who  can  best  point  out  the 
path  to  others  journeying  up  the  steeps  of  learning.  What- 
ever else  the  great  teacher  possesses  or  lacks,  he  must 
have  this  power  of  finding  his  pupil  and  then  leading  him  up 
to  his  own  higher  position. 

4.   ACTING. 

Adaptation  is  also  essential  to  another  profession,  that  of 
acting,  and  to  all  forms  of  public  entertainment.  Whatever 
else  an  actor  possesses  or  lacks,  he  must  have  the  power  of 
pleasing  the  audience.  He  may  be  as  profound  as  Burke, 
as  saintly  as  Fe'nelon,  but,  without  this  power  of  adapta- 
tion, he  cannot  succeed  in  the  dramatic  profession.  The 
reason  acting  has  scarcely  risen  to  the  dignity  of  a  profes- 
sion is  because  supreme  stress  has  been  laid  upon  the 
first  requisite  ;  and  truth,  character,  and  even  art  in  its 
ideal  form  have  been  sacrificed  to  the  love  of  popularity. 

IV.     CLASSIFICATION    OF   NATIONS, 
i.    THE  FRENCH. 

Were  we  considering  nations  from  these  points  of  view, 
we  should  name  the  French  people  as  excelling  in  Art.  In 
cooking,  in  dress,  in  the  building  and  adornment  of  homes, 
in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  as  well  as  in  the  presentation 
of  truth,  the  French  have  the  reputation  of  making  the  most 
of  the  material  in  hand.  We  once  heard  Pere  Hyacinth 
preach  with  such  admirable  art  in  tone  and  gesture  and 
facial  expression,  in  sentences  so  clear,  and  with  such  a 
repetition  of  the  leading  thoughts,  that,  although  we  had 
very  little  knowledge  of  the  language,  we  followed  the  ser- 
mon with  delight,  and  recalled  it  with  a  fullness  which 
astonished  a  friend  who  knew  our  ignorance  of  French. 
The  secret  was  in  the  art  of  the  orator.  In  the  eighteenth 


430  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

century  it  was  said  that  even  German  thought  must  pass 
through  France  in  onjer  to  find  a  tongue. 

2.  THE  GERMANS. 

Upon  the  other  hand,  Germany  seems  to  excel  any  other 
nation  in  the  mastery  of  the  subject  in  hand.  German  pro- 
fessors are  willing  to  work  upon  small  salaries  ;  but  they 
devote  their  lives  to  narrow  lines  of  investigation,  and  thus 
become  leaders  in  some  department  of  thought.  It  is  this 
love  of  truth  for  its  own  sake  and  its  lifelong  cultivation 
which  makes  German  Universities  moulders  of  modern 
thought. 

3.  THE  ENGLISH. 

Englishmen  seem  to  excel  in  personality.  Whatever 
else  an  Englishman  does,  or  fails  to  do,  he  is  sure  in  his 
book  or  in  his  speech  to  express  his  own  convictions. 
Englishmen  sometimes  seem  opinionated  and  overbearing. 
They  intrude  their  views  upon  us,  and  we  call  them  egotists. 
But  it  is  the  strength  of  the  personal  element  which  makes 
England  the  colonizer  of  the  modern  world.  That  the 
personal  element  is  the  most  vital  of  the  three  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  the  English  tongue  is  gaining  over  German 
and  French  as  the  medium  of  expression,  and  may  possibly 
become  the  language  of  the  world. 

4.   THE  AMERICANS. 

The  next  great  literature  will  combine  all  these  elements. 
If  America  can  rival  the  French,  or,  better  still,  the  ancient 
Greeks  in  the  mastery  of  the  art  of  expression  ;  if  she  can 
rival  Germany  in  philosophy,  and  the  ancient  Roman  world 
in  the  application  of  principles  to  the  daily  affairs  of  life  ; 
if  she  can  rival  England  or  the  ancient  Jewish  world  in 
the  development  of  personality  through  contact  with  the 
Almighty  —  she  may  hope  to  develop  the  great  literature 
of  the  twentieth  or  the  twenty-fifth  century. 


ORATORY.  43 1 

CHAPTER   I.— ART. 
I.     DEFINITION. 

Art  is  the  ideal  expression  of  the  thought,  senti- 
ment, or  purpose  to  be  conveyed  to  others.  Professor 
L.  B.  Monroe  often  said  :  "  Let  your  words  and  tones  and 
gestures  be  informed  with  your  thought  and  feeling."  He 
sometimes  expressed  the  same  principle  in  the  following 
statement  :  "When  your  thought  and  purpose  so  thor- 
oughly mould  your  expression  that  the  latter  perfectly 
reveals  the  former,  your  art  is  faultless." 

i.   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

I  well  remember  the  surprise  with  which  I  first  listened 
to  Wendell  Phillips.  The  language  and  tones  and  gestures 
were  so  perfectly  adapted  to  the  thought  that  he  seemed 
the  most  natural  speaker  I  had  ever  heard.  The  language 
and  tones  were  natural,  not  in  the  sense  of  customary,  but 
in  the  sense  of  fitting.  It  seemed  as  if  there  was  no  other 
method  of  expressing  such  sentiments,  and  that  all  per- 
sons would  speak  in  the  same  natural  manner.  Alas,  alas, 
experience  and  observation  show  us  how  far  most  of  us  are 
from  the  spontaneous  use  of  this  natural  method  of  expres- 
sion !  Accepting  the  definition  given  above,  Mr.  Phillips' 
art  was  more  nearly  perfect  than  that  of  any  other  man  I 
have  ever  heard.  Mr.  Beecher  and  Mr.  Spurgeon  were  his 
nearest  rivals ;  but  there  was  a  classic  finish  combined 
with  the  utmost  naturalness  in  Mr.  Phillips'  speech  which 
Beecher  and  Spurgeon  never  quite  attained.  I  imagine, 
however,  that  Mr.  Beecher  sometimes  surpassed  Mr.  Phil- 
lips in  spontaneity  and  earnestness,  while  perhaps  Mr. 
Spurgeon  excelled  him  in  the  qualities  of  his  voice  and  in 
spiritual  power.  It  is  said  that  Mr.  Spurgeon  once  addressed 


432  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

an  audience  of  twenty  thousand  in  Crystal  Palace,  making 
himself  distinctly  heard  by  every  one  present,  without  ap- 
parent exaggeration  of  tone  or  manner.  Probably  no  other 
speaker  since  the  days  of  Whitefield  could  have  equaled  this 
feat 

II.     DIFFICULTIES    OF   ART. 

While  art  thus  becomes  perfect  when  it  fully  reveals  the 
mind  and  the  spirit,  we  must  not  for  this  reason  think  that 
it  is  simple  or  easily  acquired.  The  slightest  recollec- 
tion of  our  attempts  at  expressing  ourselves  in  public  or  in 
private,  shows  how  imperfectly  we  reveal  our  highest  aspira- 
tions and  our  best  thoughts  to  others.  The  consciousness 
of  the  chasm  which  separates  our  ideal  selves  from  our 
actual  lives,  and  the  impossibility  of  closing  this  chasm  and 
of  making  our  words  and  conduct  express  our  thoughts 
and  emotions  in  our  loftiest  and  truest  moods,  show  the 
difficulty  of  acquiring  art. 

Those  who  have  mastered,  in  some  measure,  the  art  of 
human  expression,  testify  to  the  difficulties  which  attend 
its  acquirement.  Demosthenes  was  at  first  hissed  from 
the  bema  ;  Disraeli  was  laughed  down  in  his  first  attempt 
to  speak  in  Parliament  ;  Webster  failed  in  his  first  declama- 
tion ;  Simpson  turned  from  the  ministry  and  studied  medi- 
cine, because  he  thought  he  could  not  speak.  Demosthenes 
recognized  that  emotion  is  so  delicate  and  changing,  that 
thought  has  so  many  shades  of  meaning,  and  purpose  so 
many  degrees  of  intensity,  and  character  is  so  complex,  that 
with  even  the  Greek  language  —  the  most  perfect  instru- 
ment of  human  expression  —  he  was  accustomed  to  say  : 
"  The  great  oration  must  be,  as  it  were,  carved  in  brass." 
So  Browning  sings  : 

What  hand  and  brain  went  ever  paired  ? 
What  heart  alike  conceived  and  dared  ? 
What  act  proved  all  its  thought  had  been? 
What  will  but  felt  the  fleshy  screen? 


ORATORY.  433 

i.    REASONS  WHY  ART  is  DIFFICULT. 

A  moment's  contemplation  shows  why  the  art  of  speak- 
ing is  difficult.  All  artists  know  how  delicate  is  the  art  of 
making  canvas  and  pigment  express  thought  and  emotion 
and  character  through  the  face  and  form  portrayed  ;  but 
the  orator,  by  the  kindling  of  the  eye  or  the  change  of 
his  countenance,  must  often  express  to  an  audience  in  a 
moment  what  the  painter  labors  for  months  to  embody. 
Sculpture  is  a  great  art,  as  its  possibilities  are  revealed  by 
Michael  Angelo  ;  but  the  orator  must  in  a  single  oration 
assume  the  attitude  of  a  score  of  statues,  upon  any  one  of 
which  even  Angelo  might  have  labored  for  months.  Music 
is  so  difficult  that  its  mastery  demands  the  genius  and  the 
toil  of  a  Beethoven  ;  but  the  orator  uses  the  most  subtile 
musical  instrument  in  the  world — the  human  voice,  and, 
instead  of  being  permitted  to  pause  like  the  musician  upon 
a  single  note  long  enough  to  express  its  full  significance,  he 
is  often  required  to  sweep  the  scale  in  a  single  word.  No 
one  dreams  that  an  Angelo  could  have  carved  his  "Moses," 
or  Leonardo  da  Vinci  have  painted  the  "Last  Supper,"  or 
Beethoven  have  composed  his  "9th  Symphony,"  without 
years  of  study  and  practice  ;  but  we  have  the  strange  pre- 
sumption to  suppose  that  all  a  young  American  has  to 
do,  in  order  to  combine  all  these  arts  and  to  become  an 
orator,  is  to  stand  up  before  his  fellow-citizens,  without 
either  character  in  himself,  or  matter  in  his  speech,  or  art 
in  his  expression,  and  simply  "  spout." 

III.     OBJECTIONS    TO    ART. 

We  are  aware  of  the  objection  to  the  study  of  elocution. 
Our  dear  old  teacher,  Professor  Hudson,  the  well-known 
Shakespearian  scholar,  was  accustomed  to  define  elocution 
as  the  art  of  saying  nothing  and  making  it  pass  for  some- 
thing. Even  Frederick  Robertson,  the  most  thoughtful 


434  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

preacher  of  modern  times,  objected  to  any  verbal  expression 
of  religious  emotion,  on  the  ground  that  the  expression  of 
sentiment  in  words  would  relieve  the  person,  and  save  him 
from  the  higher  duty  of  expressing  his  sentiment  in  conduct. 
I  think  Emerson  once  expressed  the  conviction  that  certain 
authors  were  unlovely  because  they  worked  up  into  poetry 
the  sentiments  which  stronger  people  put  into  conduct. 
We  once  heard  a  leading  actor  declare  that  the  possession 
of  thought  or  emotion  is  not  at  all  essential  to  the  speaker. 
Upon  the  contrary  he  advised  actors  to  concentrate  all  their 
attention  upon  tones  and  gestures  and  give  no  thought  to 
their  inward  states.  He  declared  that  by  suitable  expres- 
sion he  could  produce  any  sentiments  he  desired  in  the 
audience  without  the  possession  of  this  sentiment  upon 
his  own  part.  The  voice  must,  indeed  sometimes  for 
months,  be  trained  to  utter  sounds  without  meaning  until  it 
attains  mechanical  excellence,  and  becomes  responsive  to 
the  will,  just  as  the  hand  and  the  eye  of  the  painter  must  be 
trained  for  the  same  purpose.  But  to  teach  a  young  person 
to  attempt  to  produce  in  others  sentiments,  which  he  does 
not  feel  himself,  is  simply  to  train  him  in  the  art  of  hypoc- 
risy, and  we  do  not  wonder  that  honest  souls,  like  those  of 
Hudson  and  Robertson,  revolt  against  it.  But  such  elocu- 
tion is  also  a  violation  of  the  fundamental  rules  of  art  as 
presented  throughout  this  volume.  Professor  Curry,  in  The 
Provifice  of  Expression,  thus  speaks  of  such  mechanical 
elocution  :  "  In  presenting  Shylock,  the  actor  does  not  have 
any  internal  sympathetic  assimilation  of  character,  but 
adjusts  his  head,  his  limbs,  his  throat ;  everything  is  aggre- 
gated and  adjusted,  nothing  is  unfolded.  The  voice  as  it 
comes  out  is  the  result  of  an  elocutionary  trick  in  the  throat. 
It  is  a  mere  mechanical  effect  without  any  psychic  cause. 
Such  work  may  serve  as  an  exhibition  for  people  who  want 
to  see  what  a  man  can  do  with  himself ;  but  there  is  not  a 
particle  of  art  in  it." 


ORATORY.  435 

i.  ANSWERS  TO  OBJECTIONS. 

If  by  art  we  understand  the  perfect  expression  of  that 
which  is  within  us,  objection  can  no  more  be  urged  against 
the  cultivation  of  such  art  for  public  speaking  than  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  voice  for  music,  or  of  the  hands  for 
mechanical  trades.  Robertson's  objection,  that  expression 
weakens  sentiment,  is  true  only  of  excessive  or  hypocritical 
expression.  All  excessive  activity  injures  the  faculties 
indulging  it.  Upon  the  other  hand,  all  undue  restraint  of 
emotion  tends  to  destroy  the  emotion.  It  was  upon  this 
ground  that  Franklin  urged  angry  people  to  count  ten 
before  giving  expression  to  their  rage.  All  appropriate 
activity  both  cultivates  the  sentiments  expressed  and,  at 
the  same  time,  perfects  the  means  of  expression. 

IV.     CULTIVATION   OF  ART. 

If  asked  how  one  may  cultivate  the  art  of  expression  in  its 
ideal  form,  we  answer  that  love  of  art  for  its  own  sake,  a 
study  of  the  great  masters  of  fine  art,  and  daily  practice 
in  accordance  with  scientific  principles,  are  the  only  methods 
by  which  one  may  perfect  his  art.  One  must  believe  in  the 
sacredness  of  his  vocation.  He  must  do  his  work,  not 
simply  for  the  applause  of  the  multitude,  but  rather  as  if  he 
were  laboring  in  the  presence  of  the  original  Creator.  Long- 
fellow expresses  our  thought  in  the  beautiful  quatrain  : 

%  "In  the  elder  days  of  art 

Builders  wrought  with  patient  care 
Each  unseen  and  hidden  part ; 
For  the  gods  see  everywhere." 

V.     ART   AS    ADAPTATION. 

But  art  implies  the  adaptation  of  the  message  to  the 
audience,  as  well  as  its  embodiment  in  an  ideal  form. 


436  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

i.    CONFLICT  BETWEEN  IDEAL  FORM  AND  ADAPTATION. 

Sometimes  there  is  apparent  conflict  between  these  two 
aims  in  art ;  and  the  ideal  form  is  sacrificed  to  please  the 
audience.  But  the  conflict  is  due  to  ignorance  on  one  or 
both  sides.  The  supposed  higher  forms  of  speech  may  be 
empty  or  affected  expressions.  Both  Demosthenes  and 
Shakespeare  violated  the  canons  of  style  accepted  in  their 
day.  The  great  master  must  know  whether  the  forms  in 
which  the  sentiments  of  his  age  find  expression  grow  out  of 
the  nature  of  the  sentiments  themselves,  or  whether  they  are 
simply  conventional  forms  imposed  upon  the  world  by  some 
master  who  formed  his  art  in  a  lower  stage  of  civilization. 
Upon  the  other  hand  the  audience  may  be  ignorant,  and 
may  not  recognize  the  ideal  forms  of  art  when  they  are 
presented.  But  if  one  Creator  made  the  human  heart  and 
shaped  the  laws  of  expression,  we  may  rest  assured  that 
there  can  be  no  ultimate  conflict  between  art  in  its  ideal 
form  and  art  as  adaptation  to  the  audience. 

2.   SOURCE  OF  ADAPTATION. 

Adaptation   springs  out  of  love  of  the  audience.     The 

moment  that  self-love  or  the  love  of  applause  becomes  the 
motive  of  the  speaker,  that  moment  he  ceases  to  be  a 
teacher  and  becomes  a  demagogue. 

3.   ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  ADAPTATION. 

Perhaps  the  best  American  illustrations  of  art  in  political 
speaking  are  found  in  the  speeches  of  Henry  Clay  and  Mr. 
Lincoln.  The  latest  biography  of  Mr.  Clay  lays  special 
emphasis  on  his  power  to  put  the  ideas  of  his  generation  in 
a  form  for  popular  approval ;  and  affirms  that  Mr.  Clay  put 
more  laws  into  final  shape  and  carried  them  through  Con- 
gress than  any  other  representative  of  the  American  people. 


ORATORY.  437 

In  this  regard  he  excelled  Mr.  Elaine,  though  Mr.  Elaine  is 
one  of  the  finest  expositors  of  the  principles  of  his  party 
which  our  present  political  life  has  produced.  It  is  said  that 
Mr.  Clay  once  stated  an  argument  before  a  jury  in  four 
different  forms,  wearying  two  very  intelligent  auditors  who 
fully  comprehended  his  argument  the  first  time  he  stated  it- 
When  one  of  these  hearers  who  was  a  special  friend  to  Mr. 
Clay  mentioned  his  repetitions  deprecatingly,  Mr.  Clay 
replied :  "  Did  you  see  the  juryman  in  blue  jeans,  sitting  in 
the  corner?"  "No,"  said  his  friend,  "What  of  him?" 
"The  first  time  I  stated  the  argument,"  said  Mr.  Clay,  "I 
won  eleven  jurymen.  But  one  must  secure  twelve  jurymen 
to  win  a  case.  I  saw  that  the  obstinate  juryman  was 
ignorant,  and  so  stated  my  argument  a  second  time,  chang- 
ing, the  illustrations.  He  wavered  in  his  opposition.  I 
stated  it  a  third  time.  He  wavered  still  more  and  seemed 
inclined  to  my  side.  I  stated  the  argument  a  fourth  time 
and  won  the  juror,  and  shall  have  the  verdict."  And  Mr. 
Clay  secured  the  verdict,  because  he  had  not  simply  the  art 
which  stated  an  argument  so  that  a  juryman  might  under- 
stand him,  but  the  art  which  stated  an  argument  so  that  the 
juryman  could  not  misunderstand  him.  "Why  do  you 
repeat  the  truth  twenty  times  to  the  boys,"  said  John 
Wesley's  father  to  John  Wesley's  mother,  "  Because,"  said 
the  mother,  "the  children  have  not  learned  the  lesson  when 
I  have  repeated  it  nineteen  times."  It  was  this  willingness 
to  repeat  line  upon  line  and  precept  upon  precept  which 
enabled  the  mother  of  the  Wesleys  to  give  England  two  of 
the  noblest  sons  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

Mr.  Clay  seems  to  me  to  have  failed  in  proposing  the 
final  solution  of  the  great  problem  of  his  age,  because  he 
carried  his  adaptation  too  far  and  did  not  recognize  that 
principles  are  as  inflexible  in  politics  as  in  the  natural 
sciences ;  and  perhaps,  also,  because  of  his  lack  of  the 
highest  personality.  Mr.  Lincoln,  therefore,  seems  to  me  to 


43  8  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

be  a  better  representative  of  wise  adaptation  of  measures  to 
men  than  was  Mr.  Clay.  A  better  comparison,  however, 
lies  between  Abraham  Lincoln  and  Wendell  Phillips, 
Phillips  was  the  political  prophet  of  his  generation.  He 
stood  upon  the  heights  which  his  fellow-citizens  ought  to 
have  occupied,  and  which  he  knew  they  must  eventually 
occupy,  and  mocked  the  people  in  the  valley  below.  Lin- 
coln, too,  saw  the  mountain  heights  of  freedom ;  and,  not 
content  to  occupy  the  ideal  position  alone,  like  Paul,  he 
went  down  to  where  the  multitude  stood,  not  that  he  might, 
like  a  demagogue,  abide  with  the  people  in  the  plain,  but 
that  he  might  lead  his  brethren  up  the  rugged  heights  of 
freedom.  Phillips  was  an  Elijah.  Lincoln  a  Moses.  The 
latter  seems  to  me  to  have  combined  the  three  qualities  of 
oratory  in  his  Gettysburg  oration  —  one  of  the  finest  speci- 
mens of  American  eloquence. 

4.   UNDUE   ADAPTATION. 

One  must  be  especially  on  his  guard,  lest  his  love  of  the 
audience  lead  him  to  carry  his  adaptation  too  far.  The 
lack  of  appreciation  may  be  the  fault  of  the  audience,  and 
not  of  the  speaker.  Schleiermacher  says  that  a  man's  great- 
ness is  measured  by  his  power  to  mould  society,  rather  than 
by  his  ability  to  adapt  himself  to  his  environment.  For  per- 
manent leadership,  the  great  orator  must  be  so  much  in 
advance  of  his  age  that,  like  Demosthenes,  or  Moses,  or 
Christ,  he  may  fail  of  immediate  appreciation.  At  any 
rate,  a  true  man  will  never  sacrifice  his  personal  convic- 
tions out  of  either  fear  or  love  of  the  audience.  He  will 
have  so  much  confidence  in  the  capacity  of  the  human  soul 
for  truth,  and  so  much  faith  in  his  fellow-men,  that  he  will 
utter  his  deepest  convictions  upon  every  subject.  But  while 
it  is  enough  for  the  scientist  simply  to  speak  the  truth,  the 
orator  will  ever  be  found  among  those  "  speaking  the  truth 


ORATORY. 


439 


in  love."     Goldsmith  hints  at  our  ideal  of  adaptation  in  his 
Village  Preacher  : 

A  man  he  was  to  all  the  country  dear ; 
And  passing  rich  on  forty  pounds  a  year. 
Unskillful  he  to  fawn  or  seek  for  power 
By  doctrines  fashioned  to  the  varying  hour ; 
Far  other  aims  his  heart  had  learned  to  prize  — 
More  bent  to  raise  the  wretched  than  to  rise. 
But  in  his  duty,  prompt  to  every  call, 
He  watched  and  wept  and  prayed  and  felt  for  all ; 
f      And,  as  a  bird  each  fond  endearment  tries 

To  tempt  its  new-fledged  offspring  to  the  skies, 
He  tried  each  art,  reproved  each  dull  delay, 
Allured  to  brighter  worlds,  and  led  the  way. 


44°  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 


CHAPTER   II.  — TRUTH. 

While  recognizing  the  value  of  Rhetoric  and  Elocution,  we 
must  admit  that  they  are  only  a  means  to  an  end.  The  aim 
of  public  speech  is  to  influence  hearers  through  the  truth 
presented  to  them. 

I.     VALUE   OF  TRUTH. 

The  reason  truth  is  of  vital  importance  to  the  orator,  is 
because  there  can  be  no  permanent  settlement  of  the  prob- 
lems with  which  the  leader  of  thought  deals,  except  in 
accordance  with  its  laws.  Truth,  for  the  orator,  is  the 
science  relating  to  the  subject  upon  which  he  speaks. 
The  orator  must  fail  utterly  in  his  duty  to  the  audience, 
and  must  take  a  short-sighted  view  of  his  own  fame,  if  he 
seeks  simply  for  the  arguments  which  will  persuade  the 
people  to  accept  in  physics  or  mechanics  theories  which 
the  first  experiment  will  prove  false.  Men  are  only  slightly 
less  short-sighted  who  try  to  persuade  the  people  to  accept 
in  politics  or  religion  a  theory  which  the  leaders  know  to 
be  incorrect.  For  the  sake  of  his  hearers  and  for  his  own 
reputation,  the  speaker  must  be  even  more  interested  in 
finding  the  truth  than  in  persuading  the  audience  to  accept 
the  views  he  holds.  Though  the  teacher  who  presents  the 
truth  lacks  in  style,  and  even  though  he  is  personally  ob- 
noxious, yet  we  must  eventually  accept  his  views,  because 
the  forces  of  the  universe  are  on  his  side.  The  man  who 
presents  the  true  solution  of  the  political,  social,  and  spir- 
itual problems  of  our  age,  though  he  be  crucified  to-day, 
will  become  the  leader  of  to-morrow,  because  the  growing 
experience  of  the  race  will  vindicate  his  wisdom.  Truth, 
therefore,  is  essential  to  all  permanent  success  in  oratory. 


ORATORY. 


441 


We  may  go  farther,  and  say  that  knowledge  is  essential 
to  temporary  effectiveness  in  speech.  Socrates  was  accus- 
tomed to  say  :  "  Every  man  is  sufficiently  eloquent  in  that 
which  he  clearly  understands."  Old  Dr.  Emmons  often 
told  the  candidates  for  the  ministry  that  the  worst  fault  in 
delivery  consists  in  having  nothing  to  deliver.  Emerson 
once*  wrote  :  "  That  speaker  is  most  desired  in  a  public 
assembly  who  knows  most  about  the  subject  in  hand." 
Emerson's  remark  is  true  in  proportion  to  the  importance 
and  the  critical  nature  of  the  problem  for  which  the  assem- 
bly is  called.  If  a  ship  is  on  fire,  the  passengers  care 
little  for  the  man  whose  manners  were  perfect  in  the  state- 
room the  preceding  evening  ;  they  wish  to  hear  the  man 
who  knows  most  about  extinguishing  flames  or  launching 
lifeboats. 

i.   ILLUSTRATION. 

When  I  began  the  study  of  Demosthenes'  Oration  on  the 
Crown,  I  had  the  vague  impression  that  eloquence  was  an 
unearthly  quality  gained  by  some  sort  of  magnetism.  I  was 
astonished  to  find  this  speech  so  packed  with  knowledge  on 
the  subject  in  hand  that  Demosthenes  seemed  to  know  all 
about  the  theme,  and  his  view  appeared  to  be  the  only  cor- 
rect opinion.  In  the  next  place,  I  was  equally  astonished 
to  find  the  argument  stated  so  simply  that  even  a  child 
could  not  fail  to  understand  it.  One  day,  in  my  astonish- 
ment at  this  discovery,  I  broke  out  in  the  class  with  the 
remark:  "There  is  no  trick  at  all  about  Demosthenes' 
eloquence  ;  I  could  make  as  good  a  speech  myself,  if  I 
only  knew  as  much."  "  Doubtless  you  could,"  replied  the 
Professor,  "  if  you  only  knew  as  much."- 

All  that  Rhetoric  and  Elocution  can  avail  is  to  enable  the 
speaker  to  present  to  the  audience  in  the  most  effective 
manner  whatever  truth  he  possesses.  One  may,  indeed, 
use  devices  to  confuse  an  audience,  and  turn  them  away 


442  PRACTICAL  ELOCUTION. 

from  the  truth  which  another  has  uttered  ;  but  there  is  no 
possible  trick  of  Elocution  or  art  of  Rhetoric  by  which  a 
speaker  can  give  to  an  audience  that  which  he  does  not 
himself  possess. 

II.     MASTERY   OF  TRUTH, 
i.   FIRST  CONDITION. 

The  first  requisite  for  a  mastery  of  the  truth  is  observation, 
reading,  the  gathering  of  all  the  facts.  The  lawyer  who  has 
hunted  up  the  law  and  the  precedents,  the  minister  who 
speaks  from  experience  and  cites  illustrations,  the  statesman 
who  knows  the  history  of  the  people,  makes  the  weightiest 
address.  In  a  debate,  especially  if  the  struggle  is  a  long 
one,  fear  not  the  antagonist  who  has  the  finest  reputation 
for  eloquence,  but  the  one  who  knows  most  about  the 
question  at  issue.  An  unknown  lawyer  was  employed  in  a 
will  case  in  New  York  involving  a  million  dollars.  He 
studied  the  case  for  a  year  before  he  instituted  proceedings 
in  the  court  to  recover  the  property  of  his  client.  The 
defendants  had  possession  of  the  money  and  employed  the 
finest  legal  talent  in  the  city.  But  the  unknown  lawyer  won 
because  the  facts  and  law  were  upon  his  side. 

2.   SECOND  CONDITION. 

But  observation  and  industry  alone  do  not  make  the  great 
speaker.  One  might  as  well  call  a  good  recruiting  officer 
a  great  general  as  to  call  a  mere  literary  encyclopedist  a 
great  author.  If  one's  learning  is  thoroughly  digested  by 
thought,  his  writing  will  be  something  more  than  an  intel- 
lectual scrap  bag,  or  a  mental  crazy-quilt.  Leaders  in  law 
or  science,  like  Blackstone  or  Marshall  or  Darwin,  never 
impress  us  with  their  erudition.  Such  men  master  princi- 
ples and  thus  create  precedents  instead  of  quoting  them. 


ORATORY,  443 

At  this  point  there  seems  to  be  a  defect  in  modern  educa- 
tion. The  memory  is  cultivated  at  the  expense  of  the 
reason.  We  act  as  if  the  child's  mind  were  an  empty  cup, 
and  we  pour  in  facts  upon  every  possible  subject ;  and  then 
test  the  child's  education  by  his  ability  to  recite  these  facts 
word  for  word  as  they  were  given  to  him.  A  good  recitation 
often  proves  that  the  facts  have  remained  in  the  child's 
memory  only,  unassimilated  and  undigested  by  the  reason. 
Older  people  cannot  recite  like  parrots,  because  their 
understanding  has  grown  at  the  expense  of  their  memory. 
This  failure  of  a  mere  verbal  memory,  this  loss  of  names 
and  dates  and  facts  unconnected  with  principles  is  no  proof 
of  the  decay  of  mental  power.  Older  people  may  be  thank- 
ful that  they  have  what  the  little  girl  called  a  good  "forget- 
tery."  Confucius  says  :  "  Learning,  undigested  by  thought, 
is  labor  lost."  Newton  when  asked  the  secret  of  his 
discoveries,  answered:  "  thinking,  thinking,  thinking."  The 
artist  Carpenter  once  asked  Mr.  Lincoln  the  secret  of  his 
success  in  the  remarkable  debates  with  Mr.  Douglass. 
Lincoln  replied  in  substance  as  follows :  "  I  studied  the 
other  side  of  the  question  until  I  knew  all  the  arguments 
which  Senator  Douglass  could  present,  and  until  I  could 
state  these  arguments,  at  least,  as  well  as  he.  I  then  framed 
answers  to  each  of  the  possible  positions  which  he  might 
take ;  and  so  was  prepared  for  any  contest  upon  that 
subject."  It  was  Mr.  Lincoln's  thorough  study  of  both 
sides  of  the  question  and  of  the  principles  at  issue  which 
made  him  easily  master  in  that  historic  debate.  It  is  said 
that  when  Senator  Hayne  made  his  celebrated  speech  in 
favor  of  State  rights,  his  compeers  were  so  moved  by  his 
eloquence  that  they  adjourned  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  The 
friends  of  the  union  gathered  around  Mr.  Webster's  desk 
and  began  to  consult  anxiously  as  to  how  they  might  meet 
Senator  Hayne's  arguments.  One  remarked  that  the  speech 
must  not  be  allowed  to  go  before  the  country  unanswered, 


4/14  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

and  that  Mr.  Webster  must,  therefore,  speak  immediately 
upon  the  reassembling  of  the  Senate.  "  But,"  cried  a  timid 
senator,  "  How  can  Mr.  Webster  speak  with  so  little  prepa- 
ration ?  "  Webster  took  from  his  desk  some  notes  and  said  : 
"The  particular  points  which  Senator  Hayne  has  made, 
have  been  thought  out  by  myself  and  noted  down  with 
appropriate  answers  for  months ;  while  the  great  principles 
at  issue  have  been  my  life-long  study.  I  can  speak  tomor- 
row." When  the  senate  met  again  Mr.  Webster  made  the 
memorable  speech  which  postponed  the  fatal  decision  of  the 
South  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  strengthened  the  union 
sentiment  throughout  the  land,  so  that  when  the  conflict 
came  the  principle  of  nationality  triumphed.  The  same 
thorough  mastery  of  the  great  principles  at  issue  is  seen  in 
Patrick  Henry's  speech  before  the  Virginia  Convention,  and 
especially  in  Alexander  Hamilton's  speech  before  the  New 
York  Convention  in  favor  of  adopting  the  federal  constitu- 
tion. These  speeches  of  Henry,  Hamilton,  Webster,  and 
Lincoln  shaped  the  destiny  of  our  country  in  the  most 
critical  period  of  her  history.  Their  form  was,  in  part, 
extempore,  but  their  principles  were  the  result  of  years  of 
study  by  giant  intellects. 

We  cannot  think  that  the  greatest  orators  will  cultivate 
the  memoriter  method,  at  least,  exclusively.  The  orator  is 
the  man  who  inwardly  digests  facts  and  whose  speech, 
therefore,  becomes  a  living  product.  The  great  historian  is 
not  a  mere  chronicler  of  events.  He  masters  not  simply 
facts,  but  the  principles  which  underlie  facts  and  give  them 
their  significance.  He  then  reproduces  events  as  illustra- 
tions of  his  principles.  So  history  becomes  vital  under  the 
master's  touch.  You  can  no  more  tear  away  a  portion  of  a 
real  poem  or  speech  without  mutilating  the  whole,  than  you 
can  tear  a  limb  from  the  body.  The  distinguishing  trait  of 
Shakespeare's  writings  is  their  vital  quality.  Perhaps  Shake- 
speare took  more  from  other  authors  than  any  other  writer 


ORATORY.  445 

of  his  age.  But  he  inwardly  digested  that  which  he  took 
from  others.  So  his  writings  became,  not  a  tesselated  pave- 
ment of  stolen  gems  cut  to  fit  in  their  appropriate  places, 
but  new  creations  bearing  the  stamp  of  their  imperial 
master.  Such  work  is  not  possible  without  thoughtfulness 
and  originality,  as  well  as  industry  and  observation. 

3.    THIRD  CONDITION. 

I  am  inclined  to  think  that  a  third  condition  for  the 
mastery  of  the  truth  is  candor  and  obedience  to  the  light  one 
has.  It  was  a  proof  of  mental  honesty,  and  a  sign  of  real 
scholarship  in  Emerson  and  Darwin  and  Newton,  that  they 
would  not  mentally  take  more  food  than  they  could  digest. 
At  the  risk  of  low  grades  at  college,  they  dealt  honestly 
with  their  minds.  If  a  man  seeks  the  truth,  and  uses  it 
simply  for  the  purpose  of  confounding  his  antagonists  and 
winning  his  cases,  he  may  become  talented,  but  he  never 
becomes  wise.  All  great  masters  of  the  truth,  like  Newton, 
Pascal,  and  Paul,  have  been  men  of  candor,  who  loved 
truth  for  its  own  sake,  and  who  were  ready  to  abandon 
preconceived  notions  as  soon  as  larger  light  came.  Parties 
and  sects  produce  men  of  immense  erudition  and  of  great 
talents  ;  but  the  moulders  of  public  thought,  the  creators 
of  permanent  movements,  are  the  solitary  thinkers  who 
accept  no  shibboleth  and  follow  no  party  farther  than  the 
party  follows  truth. 

4.   SUMMARY. 

Industry  in  gathering  facts,  a  mind  open  to  the  signifi- 
cance of  the  facts,  possessing  vision  and  insight,  and  grasp- 
ing principles  ;  a  candid  mind,  dealing  honestly  with  itself 
and  with  others,  with  a  strange  combination  of  faith  and 
humility,  sure  that  there  is  more  truth  than  is  yet  mas- 
tered, an4  ready  to  abandon  preconceived  theories  for  larger 


446  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

knowledge  ;  above  all,  an  obedient  will,  ready  to  live  out 
at  all  hazards  new  truth  gained,  and  thus  advancing  in 
knowledge  by  the  scientific  method  —  these  are  the  con- 
ditions for  the  mastery  of  the  truth.  The  orator  who  thus 
interprets  the  truth  for  his  generation  must  be  heard,  for 
the  forces  of  the  universe  are  on  his  side. 


ORATORY.  447 


CHAPTER   III.  — PERSONALITY. 

We  have  dwelt  upon  Art  and  Truth  as  essential  to 
oratory.  But  only  as  Truth  becomes  incarnate  in  char- 
acter, and  as  art  reveals  this  lofty  personality  to  the  audi- 
ence, does  eloquence  reach  its  end,  and  the  convictions  of 
the  speaker  become  the  purposes  of  his  hearers.  A  young 
teacher  once  wrote  Carlyle,  asking  how  the  writer  could 
become  a  successful  instructor.  Carlyle  wrote  back  :  "  Live 
out  the  truth  you  would  teach  your  pupils,  like  a  true  man  ; 
all  other  teaching  is  unblessed  mockery  and  apery."  It  is 
said,  to  the  everlasting  credit  of  Daniel  Webster,  that  he 
never  could  make  a  good  speech  upon  a  side  in  which  he 
did  not  believe.  Mr.  Lincoln,  like  Charles  O'Conor,  went 
even  farther  than  Mr.  Webster,  and  often  refused  to  take 
the  wrong  side  of  a  case.  Personally,  we  hold  that  a  lawyer 
is  under  obligation  to  see  that  his  client,  though  a  criminal, 
is  not  punished  beyond  the  bounds  of  justice  or  of  law ; 
but  the  moment  a  lawyer  in  the  court,  and  under  the  forms 
of  law,  tries  either  to  shield  the. criminal  from  the  penalties 
due  to  his  crime,  or  to  wrest  more  than  justice  from  his 
opponent,  that  moment  he  becomes  morally  a  law-breaker 
and  a  participator  in  crime, 

I.     CHARACTER   ESSENTIAL. 

But  we  advocate  the  development  of  the  loftiest  char- 
acter, not  simply  because  it  is  demanded  by  ideal  consid- 
erations, but  because  it  is  essential  to  the  highest  success 
of  the  public  speaker.  Mr.  Lincoln  once  said  :  "  The 
demagogue  may  mislead  all  the  people  part  of  the  time, 
and  some  of  the  people  all  the  time  ;  but  he  cannot  mis- 
lead all  the  people  all  the  time."  Phillips  Brooks  held 


PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

that  a  good  man,  who  honestly  believes  a  false  doctrine, 
will  secure  more  followers  than  a  bad  man  advocating  the 
truth.  A  young  member  of  the  British  House  of  Lords 
once  wrote  Benjamin  Franklin,  asking  how  he  might  be- 
come an  influential  speaker.  Franklin  answered  that  a  real 
mastery  of  the  subject  to  be  discussed,  and  a  reputation  for 
honesty  and  character,  would  give  a  man's  words  greater 
weight  in  Parliament  than  all  the  arts  of  Rhetoric  he  could 
cultivate  in  a  lifetime.  After  all,  a  man's  character  shows 
itself  in  his  walk,  and  in  his  tone,  and  speaks  through  his 
words.  "  Style,"  says  Buffon,  "  style  is  the  man  himself." 
The  everlasting  freshness  of  Sartor  Resartus,  of  Pilgrim's 
Progress,  of  Goethe's  Faust,  of  David's  Psalms,  is  due  te 
the  fact  that  these  books,  while  of  unequal  merit  morally, 
each  embodies  the  spirit  of  its  author.  Milton  was  accus- 
tomed to  say  :  "  Every  great  poem  is  the  life-blood  of  a 
noble  spirit."  Emerson  once  wrote  :  "  Only  so  much  do  I 
know  as  I  live."  Milton's  Paradise  Lest  seems  to  us  to 
excel  Paradise  Regained,  because  Milton  experienced  more 
of  the  sorrows  and  sins  of  earth  than  of  the  blessedness 
of  heaven.  Paradise  Regained  ought  not  to  have  been 
written  until  Milton  had  reached  that  blessed  land,  and 
could  speak  from  experience,  like  a  scientist.  The  con- 
quering power  of  the  experimental  philosophy  is  due  to  the 
fact  that  it  has  life  back  of  it. 

I.   ILLUSTRATION. 

When  Demosthenes  was  asked  by  a  young  man  to  define 
eloquence,  he  replied  in  the  one  word  "Action."  The 
young  man  was  puzzled  and  again  asked :  "  Demosthenes, 
what  is  eloquence?"  Again  the  orator  replied  "Action." 
The  bewildered  rhetorician  again  stammered  out  the  ques- 
tion "What  is  eloquence?"  "Action,"  thundered  the 
orator.  We  are  ashamed  to  acknowledge  that  modern 


ORATORY.  449 

writers  have  stumbled  over  the  definition  as  grievously  as 
the  young  Greek,  and  some  have  thought  that  Demosthenes 
identified  eloquence  with  gesture.  Only  a  dancing  master 
could  have  dreamed  of  such  an  exegesis.  The  Greek  word 
means  conduct,  life,  doing.  The  grand  old  man,  who  had 
given  his  life  to  statesmanship  as  well  as  to  Oratory,  who 
had  been  a  man  of  action  as  well  as  a  student  of  Rhetoric, 
who  lost  reputation  and  property  and  at  last  his  life  for  his 
country,  saw  a  young  man  standing  before  him  who  thought 
that  eloquence  was  a  mere  trick  of  speech  to  be  learned 
from  a  rhetorician.  The  old  man  eloquent  divined  at 
once  the  young  man's  false  hopes,  and  stated  the  one 
condition  upon  which  all  eloquence  rests.  The  eloquence 
which  transforms  communities  is  the  natural  expression  of  a 
lofty  character  in  deeds  as  well  as  words.  Life  from  life  is 
the  verdict  of  literature  as  well  as  of  science.  Daniel 
Webster  either  consciously  or  unconsciously  repeated 
Demosthenes'  definition,  and  even  the  very  words  which 
Demosthenes  used.  After  depicting  the  three  elements  of 
eloquence,  he  added:  "The  clear  conception  outrunning 
the  deductions  of  logic,  the  high  purpose,  the  dauntless 
spirit,  speaking  on  the  tongue,  beaming  in  the  eye,  and 
informing  the  whole  man  —  this  is  eloquence ;  or  rather  it  is 
something  greater  than  all  eloquence  ;  it  is  noble,  sublime, 
god-like  action."  So  Lincoln  and  Washington,  who  are 
molding  American  political  life ;  Gladstone  and  Alfred 
the  Great,  who  are  shaping  English  public  thought;  so 
Milton  and  Chaucer  and  Shakespeare  and  Goethe  and 
Dante  and  Homer,  who  have  influenced  great  literatures ; 
so  Wycliffe,  whose  translation  of  the  Bible  gave  form  to 
English  speech,  and  Luther,  the  creator  of  modern  German  ; 
so  Zoroaster  and  Confucius  and  Buddha,  who  shaped  the 
religious  thought  and  life  of  the  Orient ;  so  Moses  and 
David  and  Isaiah,  who  molded  Jewish  literature  and  life  — 
all  were  men  of  kingly  character.  Even  Jesus  never  dreamed 


45°  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

that  he  could  lift  men  to  some  spiritual  height  which  he 
himself  had  never  reached.  On  the  contrary,  he  says : 
"And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me." 
Only  as  life  goes  into  your  speech  will  your  words  give  life 
^to  others. 


CONCLUSION. 

We  have  thus  treated  the  three  elements  :  Art,  Truth, 
and  Personality,  which  seem  to  us  essential  to  high  and 
lasting  public  speech.  In  confirmation  of  our  views  we 
turn  to  the  person  who  has  exercised  the  highest  and  most 
lasting  influence  upon  the  most  advanced  civilizations  of  the 
world.  No  words  have  exercised  such  a  molding  influence 
upon  the  loftiest  characters  of  earth  as  have  the  sayings  of 
Jesus.  What  is  the  secret  of  his  success?  First,  his 
mastery  of  a  spiritual  philosophy.  Men  before  him  had  been 
able  to  say :  I  know  some  portion  of  the  truth.  But  who 
could  say  like  Jesus  :  "  I  am  the  truth  "  ?  Here  was  the  first 
condition  of  his  success.  But  combined  with  truth  was 
marvelous  art  in  the  Master.  While  he  talked  about  the 
soul  and  eternity  and  God  —  the  most  distant,  abstract  and 
difficult  themes  for  the  human  mind  to  comprehend,  —  he 
yet  spoke  in  such  golden  parables  that  "  the  common  people 
heard  him  gladly."  This  was  the  second  condition  of  his 
success.  But  greater  than  Christ's  truth  and  Christ's  art 
was  his  life.  Not  his  parables,  nor  the  sermon  upon  the 
mount,  but  his  unselfish  life  upon  earth  and  his  loving 
death  upon  the  cross  enabled  him  to  conquer  the  hearts 
of  men  and  to  become  the  founder  of  a  new  order  of 
humanity.  Jesus  sums  up  all  that  we  have  written  upon  our 
theme  in  the  simple  words  :  "I  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and 
the  life." 


OUTLINE    OF    THE    BOOK. 


PAGE 

INTRODUCTION : I 

I.  RELATION  OF  SCIENCE  TO  ART i 

II.  RELATION  TO  KINDRED  SCIENCES 4 

III.  IMPORTANCE  OF  THE  SUBJECT 5 

IV.  DIVISIONS  OF  THE  SUBJECT 7 

PART    I. —  THE    PSYCHIC    BEING;    VOICE; 
PRONUNCIATION;    EMPHASIS. 

CHAPTER  I.  —  MAN'S  TRIUNE  NATURE 8 

I.  THE  PSYCHIC  UNITY 8 

1.  The  Vital  Nature '. 9 

2.  The  Mental  Nature 9 

3.  The  Emotive  Nature 9 

II.  THE  PSYCHIC  PENTARCHY 9 

III.  DELSARTE'S  CONTRIBUTION 12 

IV.  LAW  OF  INTERDEPENDENCE  AND  BLENDS 13 

CHAPTER  II.  — THE  VOCAL  APPARATUS 14 

SECTION  I.  —  ORGANS 1 5 

I.  THE  LUNGS 16 

II.  THE  TRACHEA  AND  BRONCHI 16 

III.  THE  LARYNX 17 

1.  Cartilages  of  the  Larynx 17 

2.  Vocal  Cords 18 

IV.  THE  PHARYNX 20 

V.  THE  NASAL  CAVITIES 22 

VI.  THE  MOUTH....  22 


452  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

PAGE 

SECTION  II.  —  MUSCLES  24 

I.  THE  DIAPHRAGM 24 

II.  THE  ABDOMINAL  MUSCLES 24 

III.  THE  INTERCOSTAL  MUSCLES 25 

IV.  THE  CHEST  MUSCLES , 25 

SECTION  III.  —  HEALTH  OF  THE  VOCAL  ORGANS 26 

CHAPTER  III.  —  RESPIRATION 27 

SECTION  I.  —  INSPIRATION  AND  EXPIRATION 27 

II. —  METHODS  OF  BREATHING 29 

I.  CLAVICULAR  BREATHING 30 

II.  COSTAL  BREATHING 30 

III.  ABDOMINAL  BREATHING 31 

SECTION  III.  —  BREATHING  EXERCISES 31 

I.  FOR  DEVELOPMENT  OF  ORGANS. 32 

II.  FOR  DEVELOPMENT  OF  MUSCLES 34 

III.  FOR  ECONOMY  OF  BREATH 36 

CHAPTER  IV. —  CULTIVATION   OF   THE   VOICE 37 

SECTION  I.  —  PURPOSE 37 

II.  —  GENERAL  SUGGESTIONS 38 

III.  —  VOCAL  EXERCISE 40 

CHAPTER  V.  —  PRONUNCIATION 42 

SECTION  I.  —  ENGLISH  SOUNDS 43 

I.  TONICS 44 

II.  SUBTONICS 44 

III.  ATONICS 44 

IV.  TABLE  OF  ENGLISH  SOUNDS 45 

SECTION  II.  —  INTRINSIC  TIME- VALUE  OF  SOUNDS 46 

I.  TABLE  OF  ENGLISH  QUANTITIES 46 

SECTION  III.  —  ARTICULATION 47 

I.  ORAL  POSITION  OF  CONSONANTS 47 

T.  Table  of  Consonants 48 


OUTLINE.  453 

PAGE 

II.  COGNATES 48 

1.  Table  of  Cognates 49 

2.  Repetition  of  Sounds  and  Conjunction  of  Cognates  49 

3.  Illustrations  49 

III.  EXERCISES  IN  ARTICULATION : 51 

1.  Combinations  of  Tonics  with  Subtonics  and  Atonies  51 

2.  Initial  Combinations  of  Consonants 52 

3.  Terminal  Combinations  of  Consonants 52 

4.  Phonetic  Spelling 52 

5.  Sentences  in  Difficult  Articulation 53 

SECTION  IV.  —  QUALITY  OF  VOWEL  SOUND 54 

I.  DEFECTS  IN  QUALITY  OF  VOWEL  SOUND 55 

II.  ALPHABETICAL  EQUIVALENTS 60 

III.  OBSCURE  VOWELS  61 

SECTION  V.  —  SYLLABICATION 63 

I.  FORMATION  OF  SYLLABLES 63 

II.  DIVISION  OF  WORDS  INTO  SYLLABLES 64 

III.  SYLLABLES,  AS  TO  NUMBER  AND  POSITION  65 

IV.  TIME- VALUE  OF  SYLLABLES 65 

SECTION  VI.  —  ACCENTUATION 66 

I.  KINDS  OF  ACCENT 67 

II.  VARIATION  OF  ACCENT 67 

SECTION  VII.  —  WORDS  COMMONLY  MISPRONOUNCED 70 

CHAPTER  VI.  —  EMPHASIS 71 

SECTION  I.  —  EMPHASIS  OF  SENSE 73 

I.  OBJECTIVE  EMPHASIS 73 

II.  ANTITHETIC  EMPHASIS 75 

1.  Expressed  Antithesis 75 

2.  Implied  Antithesis 76 

III.  CLIMACTIC  EMPHASIS 77 

IV.  SUGGESTIONS  FOR  APPLYING  EMPHASIS 79 

SECTION  II.  —  EMPHASIS  OF  EMOTION  ...  .  80 


454  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

PART  II.  —  THE  ELEMENTS  OF  VOCAL 
EXPRESSION. 

PAGE 
I.  HARMONY  OF  THE  RUSH  AND  DELSARTE  PHILOSOPHIES    85 

II.  TABULAR  VIEW  OF  THE  SUBJECT 87 

CHAPTER  I.  — QUALITY  89 

I.  RESONANCE  90 

II.  DIVISIONS  AND  DIAGRAMS 90 

SECTION  I.  —  NORMAL  QUALITY 92 

I.  DEFINITION  AND  USE 92 

II.  ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS 93 

SECTION  II.  —  OROTUND  QUALITY 94 

I.  DEFINITION  AND  USE 94 

II.  ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS 95 

SECTION  III.  —  ORAL  QUALITY 97 

I.  DEFINITION  AND  USE 97 

II.  ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS 98 

SECTION  IV.  —  ASPIRATE  QUALITY 99 

I.  DEFINITION  AND  USE 99 

II.  ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS 100 

SECTION  V.  —  GUTTURAL  QUALITY 101 

I.  DEFINITION  AND  USE 101 

II.  ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS 103 

SECTION  VI.  —  PECTORAL  QUALITY 104 

I.  DEFINITION  AND  USE 104 

II.  ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS 105 

SECTION  VII.  —  NASAL  QUALITY 107 

I.  DEFINITION  AND  USE 107 

II.  ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS 108 

SECTION  VIII. —  FALSETTO  QUALITY 109 

I.  DEFINITION  AND  USE 109 

II.  ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS no 

SECTION  IX.  —  VOCAL  CULTURE  OF  QUALITY in 


OUTLINE.  455 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  II.  — FORCE 113 

I.  ANALOGY  WITH  THE  TRIUNE  NATURE 113 

SECTION  I.  —  FORM 1 14 

I.  EFFUSIVE 1 16 

II.  EXPULSIVE 1 16 

III.  EXPLOSIVE 117 

IV.  RELATIVE  VALUES  OF  THE  THREE  NATURES   IN   THE 

FORMS 118 

V.  ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS 118 

VI.  VOCAL  EXERCISES  IN  THE  FORMS 123 

VII.  COMBINATION  OF  QUALITY  AND  FORM 123 

1.  The  Multiplication  Table  of  Expression 124 

2.  Proofs  in  Nature  and  Expression 125 

(1)  The  Normal  with  its  Forms 125 

(2)  The  Orotund  with  its  Forms 126 

(3)  The  Oral  with  its  Forms 127 

(4)  The  Aspirate  with  its  Forms 128 

(5)  The  Guttural  with  its  Forms 129 

(6)  The  Pectoral  with  its  Forms 130 

(7)  The  Nasal  with  its  Forms 131 

(8)  The  Falsetto  with  its  Forms 132 

3.  Illustrative  Selections 133 

SECTION  II.  —  DEGREE  OF  FORCE 147 

I.  SCALE  OF  DEGREES 148 

1.  Individuality  of  Speaker  149 

2.  Acoustic  Conditions 150 

(1)  Size  of  Auditorium 150 

(2)  Shape  of  Auditorium  150 

(3)  Size  of  the  Audience 152 

II.  EXERCISES  ON  RELATIVE  SCALES 152 

III.  COMBINATIONS  WITH  FORM  AND  QUALITY 153 

1.  The  Limitations  in  Degree 154 

2.  The  Range  in  Degree 156 

IV.  ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS 156 


456  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

PAGE 

V.  SELECTIONS  FOR  ANALYSIS  158 

VI.  VOCAL  CULTURE  IN  DEGREES  OF  FORCE  160 

SECTION  III.  — STRESS  162 

I.  DIVISIONS  AND  GRAPHIC  ILLUSTRATIONS 162 

II.  COMPARISON  WITH  FORM  163 

III.  USE  OF  STRESS  IN  EXPRESSION 164 

IV.  ADAPTATION  TO  THE  TRIUNE  NATURE 165 

V.  RADICAL  STRESS 165 

1.  Law  of  Use 165 

2.  Illustrative  Selections 166 

VI.  FINAL  STRESS 167 

1.  Law  of  Use 167 

2.  Illustrative  Selections 168 

VII.  COMPOUND  STRESS 170 

1.  Law  of  Use 170 

2.  Illustrative  Selections 170 

VIII.  MEDIAN  STRESS 172 

1.  Law  of  Use 172 

2.  Illustrative  Selections 172 

IX.  THOROUGH  STRESS 174 

1.  Law  of  Use 174 

2.  Illustrative  Selections 175 

X.  INTERMITTENT  STRESS 177 

1.  Law  of  Use 177 

2.  Illustrative  Selections 178 

XL  RELATIVE  VALUES  OF  THE  TRIUNE  NATURE   IN   THE 

STRESSES 180 

XII.  COMBINATIONS  OF  STRESSES  WITH  FORMS  AND  QUAL- 
ITIES    181 

XIII.  VOCAL  EXERCISES  IN  STRESS 183 

CHAPTER  III.  — PITCH 185 

I.  TUNABLE  SOUNDS  185 

1.  Song-Notes  and  Speech-Notes  Contrasted 186 

2.  Points  of  Resemblance 187 


OUTLINE.  457 

PAGE 

3.  Evolution  of  the  Speech-Note 187 

4.  Wrong  Use  of  Song-Notes  in  Speech 190 

II.  UNTUNABLE  SOUNDS 191 

III.  RELATION  OF  PITCH  TO  THE  TRIUNE  NATURE 191 

SECTION  I.— DEGREE  OF  PITCH 191 

I.  COMPASS  OF  THE  SPEAKING- VOICE 192 

II.  SCALE  OF  LIMITATIONS  AND  RANGE  OF  PITCH 194 

i.  Explanation  of  the  Scale 194 

III.  ILLUSTRATIVE  SELECTIONS 196 

IV.  VOCAL  CULTURE  IN  DEGREES  OF  P»ITCH 202 

SECTION  II.  —  CHANGE  OF  PITCH 203 

I.  CONCRETE 205 

1.  Rising  Concrete 206 

(1)  Law  of  Use  206 

(2)  Illustrative  Cases 206 

2.  Falling  Concrete 215 

(1)  Law  of  Use 215 

(2)  Illustrative  Cases 215 

3.  Reciprocal  Use  of  Rising  and  Falling  Concretes  223 

(i)  Illustrative  Cases 224 

4.  Waving  Concrete.  —  The  Wave 228 

(1)  Kinds  of  Waves 228 

(2)  Law  of  Use  and  Illustrations 231 

5.  Intervals  of  the  Concrete  236 

(1)  The  Semitone 237 

(2)  The  Second  239 

(3)  The  Third 240 

(4)  The  Fifth  242 

(5)  The  Octave 244 

6.  Vocal  Exercises  in  Rising,  Falling  and  Waving  Con- 

cretes   246 

II.  DISCRETE  248 

1.  Comparison  with  Concrete  248 

2.  Classes  of  Discrete 249 

3.  Intervals  of  Discrete 249 


45$  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

PAGE 

4.  Illustrations  of  Discrete  Changes 249 

5.  Vocal  Culture  of  Discrete  252 

SECTION  III.  —  MELODY 253 

I.  CURRENT  MELODY 255 

1.  The  Monotone 256 

2.  The  Ditone 257 

3.  The  Tritone 259 

4.  The  Polytone 261 

5.  Use  of  Phrases  of  Melody 263 

6.  Broken  Melody 263 

7.  Chromatic  Melody 265 

II.  CADENCE 267 

1.  The  Monad , 268 

2.  The  Duad 269 

3.  The  Triad 270 

4.  The  Tetrad 271 

5.  The  Pentad 272 

6.  Law  of  Use  of  Cadence 272 

7.  Defects  in  Cadence 274 

8.  Sentences  Illustrating  Cadence 274 

III.  EXERCISES  IN  WRITING  MELODY 275 

IV.  VOCAL  CULTURE  OF  MELODY 278 

CHAPTER  IV.  — TIME  280 

I.  DEFINITION  AND  DIVISIONS .• 280 

II.  ADAPTATION  TO  THE  TRIUNE  NATURE 280 

SECTION  I.  —  QUANTITY 281 

I.  INTRINSIC  TIME-VALUE  OF  SOUNDS.. 281 

1.  Stopt  Sounds 282 

2.  Continuant  Sounds 282 

II.  INTRINSIC  TIME-VALUE  OF  SYLLABLES 283 

1.  Indefinite  Syllables 283 

2.  Mutable  Syllables 283 

3.  Immutable  Syllables 284 


OUTLINE.  459 

PAGE 

III.  QUANTITY  AS  A  VOCAL  ELEMENT 284 

IV.  ANALOGY  BETWEEN  FORM,  QUANTITY  AND  INTRINSIC 

TIME- VALUES 285 

1.  Long  Quantity 286 

(1)  Use  in  Expression 286 

(2)  Illustrative  Selections 287 

2.  Medium  Quantity 288 

(1)  Use  in  Expression 288 

(2)  Illustrative  Selections 288 

3.  Short  Quantity 290 

(1)  Use  in  Expression 290 

(2)  Illustrative  Selections 290 

V.  VOCAL  CULTURE  OF  QUANTITY 291 

SECTION  II.  —  PAUSE 292 

I.  PHYSICAL  NECESSITY 293 

II.  MENTAL  REQUIREMENTS 293 

III.  LAW  OF  USE 294 

IV.  EXPLANATION  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS 296 

1.  Before 296 

2.  Between 299 

3.  After  300 

4.  Before  and  After 302 

5.  Selections  for  Phrasing  304 

SECTION  III.  — MOVEMENT 307 

I.  RHYTHM 307 

1.  Poetic  Rhythm 311 

(1)  Dissyllabic  and  Tryssyllabic  Feet 312 

(2)  Scansion  and  Poetic  Rhythm  Compared 316 

2.  Prose  Rhythm 317 

3.  Scored  Illustrations 318 

4.  Selections  for  Scoring 320 

II.  RATE 321 

1.  Scale  of  Comparative  Rates 322 

2.  Scale  of  Limitations 323 


460  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

PAGE 

3.  Relation  to  Pause 325 

4.  General  Suggestions 325 

5.  Illustrative  Selections 326 

6.  Selection  for  Original  Study  in  Rate 332 


PART    III.  — THE   ELEMENTS    OF    ACTION. 
INTRODUCTION.. 335 

I.  IMPORTANCE  OF  THE  SUBJECT 335 

II.  CONCEPTION  OF  ACTION 336 

1.  Impulse  to  Gesture 337 

2.  Suppression  of  Self 337 

3.  Limits  of  Personation 338 

(1)  First  Limitation 338 

(2)  Second  Limitation 340 

(3)  Third  Limitation  341 

(4)  Fourth  Limitation 342 

4.  Action  for  Figurative  Language 344 

III.  REQUISITES  OF  ACTION 344 

1.  Grace  of  Gesture 345 

2.  Force  of  Gesture 345 

3.  Precision  of  Gesture  345 

(1)  Preparation t 346 

(2)  Sweep....  346 

(3)  Stroke 346 

(4)  Transition 347 

(5)  Return 347 

4.  Sequence  of  Gesture 347 

5.  Economy  of  Gesture 348 

CHAPTER  L  — CULTIVATION   OF   THE   BODY 349 

SECTION  I.  —  PHYSICAL  EDUCATION  349 

I.  HEALTH,  ENDURANCE  AND  SYMMETRY  OF  FORM 350 

II.  MUSCULAR  CONTROL  AND  GRACE  OF  MOVEMENT 350 


OUTLINE.  461 

PAGE 
SECTION  II.  —  ^ESTHETIC  PHYSICAL  CULTURE 351 

I.  RELAXATION 351 

1.  Centers  and  Radii  of  Motion 352 

2.  Relaxing  Exercises  353 

(1)  For  the  Hands  and  Arms 353 

(2)  For  the  Feet  and  Legs 353 

(3)  For  the  Head,  Neck  and  Torso 354 

II.    VlTALIZATION 354 

i.  Vitalizing  Exercises 354 

(1)  For  the  Head,  Neck  and  Torso 354 

(2)  For  the  Feet  and  Legs 355 

(3)  For  the  Hands  and  Arms 356 

CHAPTER  II.  — PRINCIPLES    OF   ACTION 362 

SECTION  I.  —  ZONES,  POSITIONS  AND  ATTITUDES  OF  THE  BODY  363 
I.  THE  HEAD 364 

1.  The  Brain 364 

(1)  The  Cerebrum  364 

(2)  The  Cerebellum 365 

(3)  The  Medulla  Oblongata 365 

2.  The  Face 365 

(1)  The  Forehead 367 

(2)  The  Eyes 368 

(3)  The  Nose  and  Cheeks 370 

(4)  The  Mouth 370 

(5)  The  Chin  and  Lower  Jaw 371 

II.  THE  TORSO 372 

1.  The  Upper  Torso 373 

2.  The  Middle  Torso 373 

3.  The  Lower  Torso 373 

III.  THE  LIMBS 374 

i.  The  Arms 374 

(i)  The  Hand  —  its  Positions  and  Attitudes 374 

a.  Index 376 

b.  Supine 377 


462  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

PAGE 

c.  Prone 378 

d.  Reflex 379 

e.  Clasped 380 

/  Averse 380 

g.  Clenched 381 

(2)  The  Wrist 383 

(3)  The  Forearm  383 

(4)  The  Elbow _ 384 

(5)  The  Upper  Arm 384 

(6)  The  Shoulder 385 

2.  The  Legs 386 

(1)  Zonal  Correspondences 386 

(2)  Positions  and  Attitudes  of  the  Lower  Limbs....  387 

a.  First  Position 388 

b.  First  Attitude 389 

c.  Second  Position 389 

d.  Second  Attitude 390 

e.  Third  Position  391 

/.  Third  Attitude 392 

g.  Fourth  Position 394 

h.  Fourth  Attitude 394 

i.  Fifth  Position 397 

j.  Fifth  Attitude 398 

IV.  TABULAR  VIEW  OF  ZONAL  CORRESPONDENCES 399 

SECTION  II.  —  INFLECTIONS  OF  THE  BODY 400 

I.  PLANES  OF  GESTURE 400 

1.  Plane  of  Equality 401 

2.  Plane  of  the  Superior 402 

3.  Plane  of  the  Inferior 402 

II.  DIRECTION  OF  GESTURE 402 

1.  Eccentric -  403 

2.  Concentric 4°3 

3.  Poised 403 

III.  EXTENSION  AND  DISTANCE  OF  GESTURE 404 

IV.  PRACTICAL  CONCLUSIONS  405 


OUTLINE.  463 

PAGE 
CHAPTER  III.  — TECHNIQUE   OF   ACTION 408 

SECTION  I.  —  POSITIONS 408 

SECTION  II.  —  ATTITUDES 410 

SECTION  III.  —  GESTURES 412 

I.  EXERCISES 412 

II.  APPLICATION  TO  SENTENCES 413 

SECTION  IV.  —  SELECTIONS  FOR  ANALYSIS 416 

APPENDIX.  —  ORATORY. 
INTRODUCTION 421 

I.  DEFINITION 421 

II.  DIVISIONS  OF  THE  SUBJECT 421 

1.  First  Question 421 

2.  Second  Question 422 

3.  Third  Question  422 

4.  Criticism 423 

5.  Ancient  Rhetorical  Works 423 

6.  Modern  Text-Books  424 

7.  College  Training y 426 

8.  Professional  Training 426 

9.  Practice 426 

III.  CLASSIFICATION  OF  PROFESSIONS 427 

1.  The  Ministry  427 

2.  Law  and  Science 427 

3.  Teaching  428 

4.  Acting 429 

IV.  CLASSIFICATION  OF  NATIONS 429 

1.  The  French 429 

2.  The  Germans 430 

3.  The  English  430 

4.  The  Americans. 430 

CHAPTER  I.  —  ART 431 

I.  DEFINITION 431 

i.  Illustrations 431 


464  PRACTICAL    ELOCUTION. 

PAGE 

II.  DIFFICULTIES  OF  ART 432 

i.  Reasons  why  Art  is  difficult 433 

III.  OBJECTIONS  TO  ART 433 

i.  Answers  to  Objections 435 

IV.  CULTIVATION  OF  ART 435 

V.  ART  AS  ADAPTATION 435 

1.  Conflict  between  Ideal  Form  and  Adaptation 436 

2.  Source  of  Adaptation 436 

3.  Illustrations  of  Adaptation  436 

4.  Undue  Adaptation 438 

CHAPTER  II.  — TRUTH 440 

I.  VALUE  OF  TRUTH 440 

i.  Illustration 441 

II.  MASTERY  OF  TRUTH 442 

1.  First  Condition  442 

2.  Second  Condition 442 

3.  Third  Condition 445 

4.  Summary 445 

CHAPTER  III.  —  PERSONALITY 447 

I.  CHARACTER  ESSENTIAL 447 

i.  Illustration 448 

CONCLUSION -  450 


ADVERTISEMENTS 


BOOKS  ON  ENGLISH  LITERATURE 


Alexander's  Introduction  to  the  Poetry  of  Robert  Browning $1.00 

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Baldwin's  Inflections  and  Syntax  of  Malory's  Morte  d'Arthur 1.40 

Bellamy's  Twelve  English  Poets 75 

Browne's  Shakspere's  Versification 25 

Corson's  Primer  of  English  Verse i.oo 

Eaton's  College  Requirements  in  English.    Third  Series 75 

Emery's  Notes  on  English  Literature i.oo 

Garnett's  Selections  in  English  Prose  from  Elizabeth  to  Victoria..     1.50 

Gayley's  Classic  Myths  in  English  Literature 1.50 

Gayley  and  Scott's  Literary  Criticism 1.25 

Gummere's  Handbook  of  Poetics i.oo 

Hudson's  Life,  Art,  and  Characters  of  Shakespeare.     2  vols 4.00 

Hudson's  Classical  English  Reader i.oo 

Hudson's  Text-Book  of  Prose 1.25 

Hudson's  Text-Book  of  Poetry 1.25 

Hudson's  Essays  on  English,  Studies  in  Shakespeare,  etc 25 

Kent's  Shakespeare  Note-Book 60 

Lewis'  Beginnings  of  English  Literature 90 

Litchfield's  Spenser's  Britomart .60 

Minto's  Manual  of  English  Prose  Literature 1.50 

Minto's  Characteristics  of  the  English  Poets 1.50 

Phelps'  Beginnings  of  the  English  Romantic  Movement i.oo 

Smith's  Synopsis  of  English  and  American  Literature 80 

Standard  English  Classics  :  22  volumes  now  ready. 

Thayer's  Best  Elizabethan  Plays 1.25 

White's  Philosophy  of  American  Literature 30 

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BY  HENRY    N.  HUDSON,  LL.D., 

Author  of  "  Tlie  Life,  Art,  and  Characters  of  Shakespeare? 
Editor  of  "  The  Harvard  Sfiakespeare,"  etc. 

Revised  and  enlarged  Editions  of  twenty -three  Plays.     Carefully  expurgated, 

with  explanatory  Notes  at  the  bottom  of  the  page,  and  critical  Notes  at 

the  end  of  each  volume.     One  play  in  each  volume. 
Square  i6mo.     Varying  in  size  from  128  to  253  pages.     Mailing  price  of  each : 

cloth,  50  cents;  paper,  35  cents.     Introduction  price,  cloth,  45  cents; 

paper,  30  cents.    Per  set  (in  box),  $10.00. 

Why  is  Hudson's  Shakespeare  the  standard  in  a  majority  of  the  best 
schools  where  the  greatest  attention  is  paid  to  this  subject  ?  Because 
Dr.  Hudson  was  the  ablest  Shakespearean  scholar  America  has  ever 
known.  His  introductions  to  the  plays  of  Shakespeare  are  well  worth 
the  price  of  the  volume.  He  makes  the  characters  almost  living  flesh 
and  blood,  and  creates  a  great  interest  on  the  part  of  the  student  and  a 
love  for  Shakespeare's  works,  without  which  no  special  progress  can  be 
made.  Whoever  can  command  the  interest  of  the  pupil  in  a  great 
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The  list  of  plays  in  Hudson's  School  Shakespeare  is  as  follows : 


A  Midsummer  Night's  Dream.        Henry  the  Fourth,  Part  I. 


The  Merchant  of  Venice. 
Much  Ado  about  Nothing. 
As  You  Like  it. 
The  Tempest. 
King  John. 
Richard  the  Second. 
Richard  the  Third. 


Henry  the  Fourth,  Part  II. 
Henry  the  Fifth. 
Henry  the  Eighth. 
Romeo  and  Juliet. 
Julius  Ccesar. 
Hamlet. 
King  Lear. 


Macbeth. 

Antony  and  Cleopatra. 

Othello. 

Cymbeline. 

Coriolanus. 

Twelfth  Night. 

The  Winter's  Tale. 


C.  T.  Winchester,  Professor  of  Eng- 
lish Literature,  Wesley  an  University: 
The  notes  and  comments  in  the  school 
edition  are  admirably  fitted  to  the  need  of 
the  student,  removing  his  difficulties  by 
stimulating  his  interest  and  quickening  his 
perception. 


Hiram  Corson,  Professor  of  English 
L  iterature,  Cornell  University :  I  con- 
sider them  altogether  excellent.  The 
notes  give  all  the  aid  needed  for  an  under- 
standing of  the  text,  without  waste  and 
distraction  of  the  student's  mind.  The 
introductory  matter  to  the  several  plays  is 
especially  worthy  of  approbation. 


viie  correspondence  with  all  ivho  are  interested  in  the 
study  of  Shakespeare  in  the  class-room. 


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